IndiGo’s on-time performance drops 19.7% amid crew shortage

IndiGo’s on-time performance dropped to 19.7% till midnight on Wednesday, December 4, as 300 flights were impacted due to crew shortage, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation data. The number of impacted flights is expected to remain high on Thursday, with passengers stranded at several airports.  On Thursday, December 4, the airline cancelled over 180 flights from three major airports— Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, a source told news agency PTI.   

Trouble has been brewing since November 1, 2025, as a total of 1,232 IndiGo flights were cancelled during the month, with almost 60% owing to the crew shortage after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) implemented the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations). These rules determine how long a pilot/crew can be on duty or in the cockpit, and how much rest is required between flights.

The country’s largest airline—with a market share of 65%, saw the on-time performance (OTP) go down to 67.7% in November against 84.1% in October this year. The airline has informed DGCA that it is strengthening crew planning and rostering while adhering to the FDTL norms.

IndiGo, in a statement, had said that the network stabilisation is expected by the end of Friday.

The pilot associations slammed the airline for not making the necessary arrangements to hire the required pilots for operations. With a fleet of over 400 aircraft, it operates around 2,300 flights with delays and has a pool of 5,460 pilots.

"Indigo pilots were flying about 55 to 57 hours. After November 1, they offered pilots the option to buy back their leave. The crew rostering of the pilots was totally inappropriate. They did not plan the crews correctly,” says Captain CS Randhawa, President, the Federation of Indian Pilots.  

He further said that after the second phase of the FDTL, new CARs (Civil Aviation Requirements) came into effect by the order of the Delhi High Court, and the airline immediately approached the DGCA and sought a variation.

“I request the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation not to grant such dispensations and variations, and to implement the CAR in totality... There are a lot of remedial measures which Indigo has to take,” he added.