IndiGo Cancels Over 1,000 Flights Amid Crew Crisis; CEO Predicts Normalcy by December 15
IndiGo CEO says flight cancellations will normalize between December 10 and 15 after mass disruptions.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, cancelled over half of its daily flights on Friday, affecting thousands of passengers, CEO Pieter Elbers confirmed. This marks the airline’s most severe day of disruptions to date, with Saturday expected to see cancellations drop to below 1,000, though delays will continue.
Elbers issued a public apology for the inconvenience caused to travelers, attributing the crisis to new regulations increasing pilots’ weekly rest requirements from 36 to 48 hours and restricting night-time landings to two per week, down from six. He also cited “misjudgment and planning gaps” in operational adjustments.
The CEO outlined a three-pronged approach to address the crisis. First, IndiGo has ramped up customer communication through social media, detailed notifications, refunds, and call center support to assist affected passengers. Customers with cancelled flights are advised not to visit airports as updates are being sent directly.
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Second, the airline has focused on ensuring that passengers stranded at major airports are accommodated on available flights, prioritizing travel for those most impacted by the disruptions. Efforts are underway to restore passenger movement efficiently across the network.
Third, IndiGo implemented large-scale cancellations on Friday to realign crews and aircraft, effectively rebooting its schedules to improve operations from Saturday onwards. Elbers emphasized that while the cancellations were unprecedented, the measure was necessary for progressive improvement.
The airline expects a full normalization of flight schedules between December 10 and 15, though cautioned that recovery may take time due to the scale of operations. Elbers reassured passengers that the steps taken will stabilize services while minimizing future disruptions.
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