IndiGo’s Winter Reset: 10% Cut to Soar Through Turbulence

Updated: December 09, 2025 22:43

Image Source: Moneycontrol

India's aviation ministry has ordered IndiGo to cut its winter domestic flight schedule by 10% due to persistent cancellations and poor operational management, impacting thousands of passengers and prompting a major overhaul of the airline’s winter plans.

India's largest airline, IndiGo, has been directed to reduce its domestic winter flight schedule by 10% in response to a wave of flight cancellations and severe operational disruptions. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation took this action after reviewing IndiGo's inability to efficiently manage its approved flight operations and crew scheduling, which led to thousands of passengers being stranded over the past week.

Key Highlights:

IndiGo was originally permitted to operate over 2,200 daily flights, but with the new directive, the airline will now operate around 1,800-1,900 flights per day, effectively cancelling up to 500 flights daily to stabilize operations.
The airline is required to submit a revised winter schedule by 5 pm on Wednesday, as per the regulator's instructions.
The DGCA noted that despite being granted additional aircraft and slots, IndiGo could only operate about 339-344 aircraft in October and November, far below the projected 403, leading to a 9.66% increase in departures compared to last winter, but without matching operational capability.
IndiGo had previously reported over 950 flight cancellations in November alone, and refunded more than Rs 827 crore to affected passengers.
The move aims to curb further disruptions and ensure smoother operations during the busy winter travel season, with the ministry also considering reallocating freed-up slots to other airlines.

Regulatory Rationale:

The regulator cited poor resource management, including pilot roster planning and aircraft availability, as the primary reasons for the curtailment. The ministry has summoned IndiGo’s top management for explanations and emphasized that operational efficiency must improve to avoid future penalties.

Sources: Times of India, Hindustan Times, Reuters, Indian Express, CNBC TV18, The Hindu BusinessLine, India Today, NDTV, Economic Times, Moneycontrol, The New Indian Express, Press Trust of India

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