IndiGo Flight Status LIVE: Why The Winter 2025 Schedule Was Cut
A fresh wave of flight cancellations has rattled air travellers across India this week, prompting swift government intervention. The country’s largest domestic carrier, IndiGo, saw 200+ flights cancelled on Tuesday alone — including 121 from Bengaluru, 58 from Hyderabad, 41 from Chennai and 4 in Kerala.
🚨 What triggered the intervention?
- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed IndiGo to reduce its winter schedule by 5%, after the airline failed to operate the number of flights it was sanctioned.
- Under November’s approved Winter 2025 schedule, IndiGo was cleared for 15,014 weekly departures (about 64,346 flights a month). In reality, the carrier operated only around 59,438 flights — meaning nearly 951 flights were cancelled in that month alone.
- DGCA’s order targets cuts especially on high‑demand and high-frequency routes, and instructs the airline to avoid running “single‑flight sectors” that leave no buffer for disruption. IndiGo has also been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 pm on December 10.
Government’s stance: Safety and Passenger Rights Non-Negotiable
In a statement to Parliament, K. Ram Mohan Naidu — Union Civil Aviation Minister — stressed that safety remains “fully in force” despite the operational glitches. He bluntly warned that “no airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardship to passengers” through planning failures or non‑compliance with regulations.
The government has asked IndiGo to issue prompt refunds, and reportedly over ₹750 crore has already been paid back to stranded passengers.
What went wrong at IndiGo
According to DGCA and industry reports:
- The disruptions stem from IndiGo’s inadequate planning when implementing new pilot duty and rest norms. The airline had projected a larger fleet and higher flight numbers under the winter schedule, but failed to deploy enough aircraft — operating only 339 in October and 344 in November, against an applied fleet size of 403.
- Many cancellations attributed to crew‑rostering issues, leading to a cascade of delays across multiple airports.
- IndiGo itself admitted that this happened due to “misjudgement and planning gaps” while implementing the second phase of new flight‑duty rules.
What this means for passengers
- If you are travelling soon, check your flight status online before heading to the airport — airlines and airports warn further cancellations or delays remain possible.
- On affected flights, passengers are entitled to a full refund or alternate travel per regulations, especially if cancellations happen less than 24 hours before departure.
- IndiGo is expected to submit a revised schedule by December 10, after which passenger flow and slot allocations will be re‑evaluated.
In Short
IndiGo’s network-wide disruption has triggered a regulatory crackdown. The DGCA’s 5% cut in the winter flight schedule, combined with stern warnings from the government, underscores that passenger safety and reliable operations take precedence over ambitious expansion plans. For travellers, the message is clear: stay alert, check flight status, and prioritise confirmed bookings over assumptions.