After December Chaos, IndiGo Tells Regulator Operations Are Back on Track

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has assured the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it will maintain operational stability and avoid flight cancellations beyond February 10, 2026, following weeks of regulatory oversight triggered by widespread disruptions last December.

The assurance was given during a weekly review meeting with the DGCA on January 19, where IndiGo said it was now prepared to operate smoothly on its approved network, supported by strengthened crew availability and the scheduled withdrawal of two Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) exemptions that had been granted earlier. In a statement, the regulator said IndiGo’s confidence was based on “current approved network, enhanced crew strength, and the removal of the two FDTL exemptions approved on December 6, 2025.”

The airline has been under close watch since early December, when a spate of cancellations and delays disrupted travel plans for more than three lakh passengers. Between December 6 and December 30, the DGCA deployed Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) and passenger facilitation personnel at IndiGo’s Operations Control Centre and key airports to monitor daily operations, passenger handling and regulatory compliance.

During this recovery phase, IndiGo was required to submit daily reports tracking flight cancellations, delays, crew positioning and standby utilisation. The airline also furnished weekly and fortnightly updates on manpower and submitted a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) aimed at restoring long-term operational stability and ensuring compliance with revised FDTL norms.

According to the DGCA, IndiGo submitted four weekly and three fortnightly reports and participated in regular review meetings, sharing updated operational data. The latest assessment indicates that the airline now has adequate pilot strength to meet its projected requirements.

As per the regulator, IndiGo currently has 2,400 Pilots-in-Command, exceeding the projected requirement of 2,280, and 2,240 Airbus First Officers, compared with a requirement of 2,050.

The scrutiny follows enforcement action taken by the DGCA earlier this month, when it imposed penalties totalling ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo after a detailed inquiry into operational failures between December 3 and 5, 2025. During that period, the airline cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others.

A four-member committee appointed by the DGCA found that the disruptions stemmed from excessive operational optimisation, inadequate regulatory preparedness, deficiencies in software systems, and shortcomings in management oversight and operational control. The inquiry also noted that IndiGo failed to maintain sufficient operational buffers and did not effectively implement revised FDTL provisions, triggering cascading delays and cancellations.

With fresh assurances now on record, the regulator will continue to monitor IndiGo’s performance to ensure that the recovery translates into sustained operational reliability for passengers.

(With inputs from yMedia and ANI)