Mass cancellations grip India’s largest airline, stranding thousands across country

Thousands of passengers were stranded on December 4 as IndiGo (INGL.NS), India’s largest airline, faced a third consecutive day of flight cancellations, following inadequate roster adjustments in response to new government regulations.

At least 175 IndiGo flights were cancelled as of early December 4, leaving travelers at major airports in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru frustrated and stranded. The previous day saw at least 150 flights cancelled, Reuters reports.

Shares of IndiGo, which commands approximately 60% of the domestic market and has long been known for its punctuality, fell 3.4% on December 4, bringing the weekly decline to 6%.

The Federation of Indian Pilots explained that IndiGo struggled to adjust rosters and plan schedules effectively due to new rules that increased mandatory pilot rest periods and introduced restrictions on night flying. Announced last year, the regulations came into effect on November 1.

IndiGo acknowledged that stricter flight duty time limits had contributed to the cancellations. The airline did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday. Other carriers, including Air India, SpiceJet (SPJT.BO), and Akasa Air, have reportedly not been affected.

Airport sources reported that 73 flights were cancelled at Bengaluru airport, around 30 at Delhi, and 68 at Hyderabad.

Reuters photographer on the scene in Pune described being stuck on board an IndiGo plane for three hours after landing, with the pilot citing operational issues and a lack of docking permission until other planes had departed. The pilot reportedly told passengers that the situation was “unprecedented.”

Ram Shankar Yadav, traveling with his family to attend his younger brother’s wedding, described the ordeal at Pune airport. “We don’t have enough chairs. People are taking newspapers to sit on floor,” he told Reuters by telephone. “People are angry. There’s nobody to manage; their helplines are not working,” he added.

By Vafa Guliyeva