Travel chaos: IndiGo confirms stopping all Delhi flight departures amid pilot shortage

IndiGo on Friday confirmed that all of its domestic departures from Delhi Airport (DEL) on December 5, 2025, have been cancelled until 11:59 PM. The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience and said affected passengers will receive refreshments, rebooking on the next available flight as per their preference, hotel stay arrangements, help with baggage retrieval, and full refunds wherever applicable.

“We confirm that all IndiGo domestic flights scheduled to depart from Delhi Airport (DEL) on Dec 5, 2025, are cancelled till 11:59 PM. We extend our sincere apologies to our valued customers and stakeholders who have been deeply impacted by these unexpected circumstances. To support passengers, we are providing refreshments, alternate flight options based on their choice, hotel accommodation, assistance in collecting baggage, and full refunds where relevant. All travellers scheduled to depart from Delhi today are advised to contact our ground staff at the airport for guidance on luggage collection,” the airline said.

On Friday, IndiGo cancelled more than 400 domestic flights, while many others were severely delayed. Passengers — including children and elderly travellers — were left waiting for hours with little information about revised departure times.

It added: "Passengers can visit our website at https://www.goindigo.in/refund.html or contact our customer service for assistance. We understand the immense inconvenience and distress this has caused and sincerely regret the inconvenience."

Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad worst hit

Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad emerged as the worst affected, with Delhi recording over 220 cancellations, Bengaluru more than 100, and Hyderabad around 90. Several other airports also reported cancellations and major delays, turning the disruption into a nationwide aviation crisis rather than a regional issue.

Delhi Airport: Over 220 cancellations

Bengaluru Airport: More than 100 cancellations

Hyderabad Airport: Around 90 cancellations

Several other airports also reported cancellations and significant delays, turning the disruption into a nationwide aviation setback rather than an isolated regional issue.

DGCA grants relief

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken the unusual step of asking its own inspectors to operate IndiGo flights, even though these contract pilots are typically restricted to audit duties for five years and are not permitted to fly for any airline during that tenure. Alongside this, the regulator has granted IndiGo and other carriers additional relaxations under the new pilot rest rules, including easing the cap on night landings and allowing airlines to combine pilot leave with mandatory weekly rest periods.

The extraordinary measures come as IndiGo, which commands over 60 percent of India’s domestic aviation market, faces a severe pilot shortage that has triggered thousands of flight cancellations. In an attempt to stabilise operations, the airline has suspended all domestic departures from major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as part of an operational reset agreed upon during a meeting with DGCA officials on Thursday night.

Pilot rest rules

The DGCA rolled out the revised pilot rest rules in two stages to address growing concerns over fatigue—the first in June and the second on November 1, which introduced a cap on the number of landings a pilot can perform between midnight and 6 a.m.

The second phase had already been deferred by a year to give airlines time to adjust their crew planning, after carriers warned of large-scale cancellations if implemented sooner. Although IndiGo and other airlines pushed for another postponement, the regulator ultimately enforced the rules with only limited relaxations, following a directive from the Delhi High Court.