India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has directed IndiGo to cut its flights by 5% across sectors, marking one of the most significant regulatory interventions for the country’s largest airline in recent years. The order comes amid a nationwide aviation disruption triggered by IndiGo’s large number of cancellations and its inability to fully utilise its approved fleet and schedule.

The DGCA has asked IndiGo to submit a revised flight schedule by 5 PM on December 10, enabling the regulator to ensure operational stability and prevent further passenger inconvenience.

IndiGo’s Winter 2025 Schedule Falls Short of Approved Capacity

Under the Winter Schedule 2025, IndiGo was sanctioned 15,014 weekly departures, translating into a total of 64,346 flights for November 2025. This approval reflected a notable enhancement of up to 6% compared to the Summer Schedule 2025, indicating the regulator’s confidence in the airline’s projected capacity and fleet availability.

However, actual operations during November told a very different story.

According to operational data submitted by the carrier, IndiGo operated only 59,438 flights, falling well short of the approved number. The data also revealed that the airline recorded 951 cancellations during the month — an unusually high number for a single airline in a single schedule cycle.

Fleet Utilisation Gap Raises Concerns

One of the most critical reasons behind the DGCA’s intervention is IndiGo’s inability to deploy the number of aircraft it had projected earlier.

IndiGo had secured Winter Schedule approvals based on an “indicated fleet” of 403 aircraft.

But, according to DGCA:

• The airline operated only 339 aircraft in October 2025

• And 344 aircraft in November 2025

This discrepancy led the regulator to conclude that the airline had not demonstrated the operational capability to fly the schedule it had applied for.

Despite this, IndiGo had increased its flight departures by:

• 9.66% compared to Winter Schedule 2024 (WS24)

• 6.05% compared to Summer Schedule 2025 (SS25)

The DGCA noted that while the growth in departures was in line with the approved expansion, IndiGo was not able to efficiently operate this expanded network, creating risks of further disruptions.

Also Read: PM Modi Breaks Silence on IndiGo Crisis, Says Rules Must Not “Harass Citizens”

DGCA Orders 5% Reduction in IndiGo Flights

After assessing the data and reviewing the airline’s performance, the regulator issued a firm directive: IndiGo must reduce its schedule by 5% across all sectors.

The reduction will apply particularly to:

• High-demand routes

• High-frequency sectors

• Routes where IndiGo operates single daily flights, a move intended to avoid situations where passengers are stranded due toa  lack of alternatives

IndiGo currently operates over 2,200 flights daily across domestic and international networks. A mandated 5% cut means approximately 115 flights per day will be affected across India.

This has significant implications for passengers, travel plans, and the airline’s revenue trajectory during a peak travel period.

Aviation Crisis Triggered by FDTL Norms and Pilot Fatigue Rules

The DGCA’s action comes on the back of a pan-India aviation crisis triggered by IndiGo’s cancellation of hundreds of flights over the last few weeks.

At the centre of the crisis are the new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms, which impose stricter regulations on pilot working hours to improve safety and reduce fatigue.

The norms include:

• 48 hours of weekly rest, up from earlier requirements

• Extended night duty hours affect scheduling flexibility

• A limit of only two night landings, down from six earlier

These rules were initially opposed by several domestic airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, who argued they would significantly disrupt scheduling and increase operational pressure.

However, the DGCA implemented the norms following directions from the Delhi High Court, although the rules were rolled out in a phased manner, with certain relaxations for IndiGo and Air India.

Despite these staggered implementations, the operational stress on IndiGo grew rapidly, culminating in widespread cancellations that affected passengers nationwide.

Government Steps in After Crisis Escalates

As disruptions escalated and pressure mounted on airports and passengers, the Central government stepped in to ease the situation.

The Centre relaxed some of the FDTL norms after the IndiGo crisis spiralled, recognising the need to balance safety with operational stability. These relaxations provide temporary relief but will require long-term structural adjustments within airlines like IndiGo to restore reliability.

What Happens Next?

IndiGo must now prepare and submit a revised schedule by December 10, trimming its operations by 5%. This revised plan will need to address:

• Matching fleet availability with actual operational capability

• Reducing cancellations

• Ensuring passenger loads are distributed efficiently

• Stabilising high-frequency routes

• Preventing single-sector vulnerabilities

The DGCA will further review IndiGo’s operational compliance before approving additional expansions.

For millions of flyers, the next few weeks will indicate whether IndiGo can stabilise operations and regain full scheduling reliability.

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