On Friday (5th December), more than 600 flights were cancelled at major airports as a result of IndiGo’s ongoing operational woes. The number added to the total of more than 550 cancellations, a day earlier. All 235 flights, including departures and arrivals, at Delhi airport have also been cancelled till midnight, by the airline. The list of travellers stuck owing to the fiasco now includes Simon Wong, the Singapore High Commissioner to India, who was scheduled to attend a wedding in Deoghar of Jharkhand.
The envoy expressed his “lost for words” disappointment on social media and apologised to a young employee for not being able to attend the ceremony alongside a picture of the celebrations. He also posted a screenshot of a message from IndiGo telling him that his trip from Delhi to Deoghar had been cancelled because of the airline’s persistent operational problems and that his money will be reimbursed.
The post was shared from the official handle of the Singapore High Commissioner in India.
I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words.?♂️ HC Wong. pic.twitter.com/c9rqATdOdQ
— Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) December 5, 2025
Airports in India have seen enormous crowds of IndiGo travellers over the last three days due to several delayed and cancelled flights. Airport operations in Chennai are also anticipated to be affected until 6 pm. Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have likewise been seriously hit. With 225 cancellations on Friday, Delhi suffered most extensively, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai with little over 100 each, and Hyderabad with 92 cancellations. There have been about 1,300 flight cancellations thus far.
The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network and operations. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders who have been impacted by these events. IndiGo teams are working diligently and making all efforts with the…
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 4, 2025
The aviation regulator DGCA has been notified by IndiGo that it expects complete operational stabilisation by 10th February 2026. Until then, IndiGo has requested a waiver from the regulations governing shorter nighttime flight hours. The airline’s demand will be reviewed by the regulator. In addition to procedures for crew training and roster restructuring, the airline must publish a comprehensive roadmap detailing expected personnel recruitment in connection to aircraft induction.
According to the airlines, it miscalculated the number of pilots required under Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) standards. The development transpired at a review meeting with Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. At a time when the airline has encountered a shortage of cockpit personnel, the airline stated that the new regulations contributed to greater resource strain.
Notably, the regulations require pilots to take longer rest periods (from 36 to 48 hours in a seven-day period) and to spend less continuous hours on duty. The first phase of these laws took effect on 1st July and the other on 1st November. IndiGo reportedly lacked the pilots and crew to conduct hundreds of flights. Those designated as ‘on duty’ on previous rosters were not permitted to take off.
