India's leading airline, IndiGo, abruptly canceled over 100 flights in two days due to technical issues, crew shortages, and airport congestion, causing chaos at several major airports like Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Thousands of passengers were stranded for hours, leading many frustrated individuals to express anger at airline counters and on social media. IndiGo has since issued an official statement apologizing to the affected travelers.
In its formal statement, IndiGo expressed regret for the inconvenience thousands of passengers faced, stating, 'Operations across our entire network have been severely impacted over the past two days. We apologize to our passengers for the inconvenience caused.'
Insiders at IndiGo told India Today/Aaj Tak, 'The new FDTL rule is the major cause for the pilot shortage. The roster changes have resulted in insufficient crew availability.'
According to sources, the main reasons for the delays and cancellations are pilot shortages. They also cited the Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) system, launched in November 2025, as a significant reason for the cancellations. These changes have impacted pilot rosters and put substantial pressure on available resources.
Winter often sees an increase in passenger volume, putting additional pressure on airline resources. As one source noted, 'The rising number of travelers has further strained existing resources.'
IndiGo has acknowledged that technical issues have played a role in the recent disruptions. Previously, the airline admitted it was facing technical challenges leading to boarding delays.
Despite operational pressures, IndiGo is working to minimize passenger inconvenience. Efforts are being made to resolve system issues and maintain the schedule.
Social Media Outrage
After the flights were canceled, many angry travelers were seen arguing with staff at several airports. Numerous videos have gone viral on social media.
Many passengers tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu on the platform X to express their frustration. This morning, a user wrote, 'After IndiGo's failure to address hours-long delays at Hyderabad Airport, #Ayyappadevotees were forced to protest.'
