Centre orders 10% cut in IndiGo schedule to 'stabilise operations'

The civil aviation ministry on Tuesday directed IndiGo to reduce its overall flight schedule by 10 per cent, saying the move was necessary to help the crisis-hit carrier stabilise operations following days of large-scale cancellations triggered by the transition to Phase II of the new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for pilots.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned to the ministry to provide an update on recovery efforts. According to the minister, Elbers “confirmed” that 100 per cent of refunds for flights affected till 6 December had been completed.

“A curtailment of 10 per cent (in IndiGo’s flight schedule) has been ordered. While abiding with it, IndiGo will continue to cover all its destinations as before,” Naidu said in a statement.

He added that scaling back the schedule would reduce cancellations and give the airline space to rebuild crew rosters and stabilise flight operations.

Earlier in the day, aviation regulator DGCA had issued a directive announcing a 5 per cent reduction in the airline’s schedule. The ministry later expanded this to 10 per cent, citing the need for stronger corrective measures.

IndiGo, which operates the country’s largest domestic network, has cancelled thousands of flights since the beginning of the month, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded and causing widespread chaos at airports. The minister attributed the disruptions to “internal mismanagement of crew rosters, flight schedules and inadequate communication”.

Naidu said the airline had been instructed to comply with all government directives without exception, including fare capping, proactive passenger assistance, stronger communication protocols, and timely refunds.

He added that an inquiry into the disruptions is under way and that the ministry held another round of meetings with IndiGo’s senior management on Tuesday. The discussions focused on stabilisation measures, improving flight predictability and ensuring no repeat of the severe disruptions experienced by passengers over the past week.

IndiGo continues to operate around 90 per cent of its planned network but has been asked to prioritise reliability over frequency until operations fully normalise.

With PTI inputs