India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has assured the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it will maintain full operational stability and avoid flight cancellations from February 10 onwards. The assurance comes amid heightened regulatory oversight following widespread flight disruptions in December. The regulator said the airline has committed to operating with adequate crew strength and improved planning processes.

The DGCA’s concerns stem from large-scale cancellations between December 1 and 9, which prompted authorities to set a firm February 10 deadline for IndiGo to resolve its operational shortcomings. During this period, the airline had been granted temporary relaxations under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), including additional rest for pilots and fewer night landings. These exemptions are set to be withdrawn once stability is restored.

At a review meeting on January 19, IndiGo informed the regulator that it would have sufficient pilots to support its approved network. The airline projected 2,400 Pilots in Command against a requirement of 2,280, and 2,240 First Officers against a requirement of 2,050 on its Airbus fleet. Based on these numbers, IndiGo assured that there would be no cancellations after February 10, 2026.

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Earlier, on December 9, the Ministry of Civil Aviation directed IndiGo to cut 10 per cent of its domestic capacity, resulting in the cancellation of 214 daily flights. Since then, the airline has submitted multiple weekly and fortnightly reports to the DGCA, detailing flight performance, crew availability, standby utilisation, delays, cancellations, and system readiness, as part of enhanced monitoring measures.

The DGCA reiterated that earlier disruptions were caused by inadequate crew management, insufficient regulatory preparedness, and weaknesses in operational planning and software systems. It noted that IndiGo’s aggressive focus on maximising aircraft and crew utilisation reduced operational buffers and resilience. While corrective measures are now underway, the regulator said it will continue close supervision to ensure compliance with FDTL norms and sustained operational reliability.

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