IndiGo expects flight ops to stabilise by February 10... next year

IndiGo informed aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) that it is about to reduce it flights from December 8 onwards while stable flight operations will be fully restored by February 10, 2026.

IndiGo chief executive Pieter Elbers acknowledged that India’s largest airline had failed to provide passengers the experience it promises, as the carrier continued to face massive disruptions that led to more than 300 flight cancellations and widespread delays.

In an internal message to staff, Elbers said the past few days had been “difficult” for both customers and employees.

“We serve close to 3,80,000 customers a day and want each of them to have a good experience. We could not live up to that promise these past days and we have publicly apologised for that,” he wrote.

Elbers attributed the operational breakdown to an “accumulation of several challenges”, including minor technology glitches, sudden schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, congestion in the aviation ecosystem, and the rollout of newly revised Flight Duty Time Limitations norms.

The combination of these factors, he said, had created a “cascading impact” across the network.

IndiGo, which operates around 2,300 flights daily, saw its on-time performance collapse to 19.7 per cent on 3 December, an unprecedented low for the carrier known for its punctuality.

“Given the size, scale and complexity of our network, these disruptions grow large immediately and require interventions on multiple levels,” Elbers said.

He added that teams were working round the clock to stabilise operations.

“Our immediate goal is to normalise operations and bring punctuality back on track in the coming days, which is not an easy target.”

The disruptions have stretched across multiple airports, with passengers reporting long queues, delays, cancellations and last-minute rescheduling. Aviation authorities have sought updates from the airline as the impact ripples through peak travel season.

IndiGo has assured passengers that it is taking corrective steps and will issue further updates as systems stabilise.

With PTI inputs