Centre cuts IndiGo routes by 10% to stabilise operations amid nationwide flight chaos

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said that, in light of the ongoing chaos caused by widespread flight cancellations and disruptions across India, the ministry has ordered IndiGo to curtail its overall routes by 10%. This, he said, will help stabilise the airline’s operations and reduce further cancellations.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to review the airline’s operational status. Elbers was called to the ministry headquarters for the meeting.

Naidu and MoCA Secretary Samir Sinha held discussions with Elbers, seeking clarity on the airline’s current situation, especially as services have been heavily disrupted due to the implementation of new flight duty norms.

Later, in a post on X, Naidu wrote: “Today again, @IndiGo6E CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned to the Ministry to provide an update. He confirmed that 100% of the refunds for flights affected till 6th December have been completed... The Ministry considers it necessary to curtail the overall IndiGo routes, which will help in stabilizing the airline’s operations and lead to reduced cancellations. A curtailment of 10% has been ordered. While abiding with it, IndiGo will continue to cover all its destinations as before.

Earlier in the day, Pieter Elbers said the airline’s operations have finally stabilised after several days of massive disruptions that caused cancellations, delays and widespread inconvenience for passengers across major airports. In a post on X on Tuesday, Elbers said “IndiGo is back on its feet,” adding that recovery efforts have been underway on a “war footing.”

According to him, the airline is operating more than 1,800 flights today, and on-time performance has “normalised” after the turbulence earlier in the week. IndiGo—India’s largest carrier—had been grappling with severe operational challenges, largely driven by a shortage of crew.

Elbers also acknowledged the need for internal reflection, saying the airline has “started to focus internally on what led to the issue,” signalling a deeper review of processes, planning and resource deployment.

In a separate statement, IndiGo said it has fully reinstated operations across its network after days of heavy disruption that resulted in long delays and baggage pile-ups at major airports. All flights published on its website are now being operated under an “adjusted network,” the airline said.

IndiGo added that “nearly all” baggage stuck during the crisis has been delivered to passengers, and teams are working to clear the remaining backlog as quickly as possible.

More flights and fare caps

Earlier, the government asked other airlines, including Air India, to step in and operate additional flights to help absorb the surge in passenger demand expected after IndiGo reduces its services. 

The DGCA on Saturday also introduced temporary fare caps to curb the sharp price spikes seen during the disruption. Under the directive, airlines cannot charge more than Rs 7,500 for a one-way journey of up to 500 km, while fares on routes between 1,000 and 1,500 km — such as Delhi–Mumbai — are capped at Rs 15,000.