Passenger frustration peaked at Mumbai and Pune airports on Thursday as IndiGo’s nationwide operational meltdown triggered cascading delays and cancellations, leaving hundreds stranded well past midnight and pushing airport operations into disarray.
The IndiGo staff at Mumbai Airport confirmed that the airline has cancelled 85 flights on Thursday, which includes 41 arrivals and 44 departures. The disruptions are part of a three-day crisis that has brought parts of India’s aviation network to a near standstill.
Sources told PTI that IndiGo has cancelled over 180 flights on Thursday alone across Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, as the carrier struggles with a severe shortage of crew following the implementation of the second phase of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots.
At Bengaluru, 73 flights were cancelled (including 41 arrivals), while Delhi Airport saw 33 cancellations. Officials said the numbers could rise by the end of the day.
The airline’s On-Time Performance (OTP) plunged to 19.7 on December 3 across six major airports, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, down from 35 per cent a day earlier.
Public outrage floods social media
Passengers expressed anger and helplessness across social media as long delays, sudden cancellations and lack of communication left them stranded for hours.
Influencer Elvish Yadav posted on X about the midnight chaos and inconvenience caused to travellers.
Waah Indigo Waah 👏 @IndiGo6E @DGCAIndia pic.twitter.com/raPHmOVyqB
— Elvish Yadav (@ElvishYadav) December 4, 2025
Another YouTuber wrote, “IndiGo is in a terrible state. Flights cancelled one after another, chaos at the gates, passengers arguing with crew, zero communication. My own flight has been delayed for over two hours with no update.”
IndiGo is in a terrible state right now.
Flights getting cancelled one after another, chaos at the gates, passengers arguing with crew, zero communication.My own flight has been delayed with no clarity, we’ve been at the airport for 2 hours just waiting for any update.
If… pic.twitter.com/X2K8Q5Hpyg
— Arun Prabhudesai (@8ap) December 4, 2025
An X user added, “My IndiGo flight has been delayed over eight hours, and they still aren’t offering meals or assistance. Pathetic service.”
My @IndiGo6E flight has been delayed for more than 8 hours, yet they are not offering any help to the passengers. At the very least, they should offer meals to their flyers.
Pathetic service of Indigo. pic.twitter.com/RTJNY7c6wt
— Shubham Sharma (@Shubham_fd) December 4, 2025
Sanjay, an IndiGo passenger, said that the airline had been experiencing glitches for the last two days, reportedly due to a software update in Airbus systems. Because of this, flight schedules were disrupted, and, according to him, IndiGo was not adequately supporting its passengers. He mentioned that he missed his connecting flight as a result of the delays and even tried contacting the Aviation Ministry, but no one responded.
Another passenger, Jumman Ali Khan, shared an emotional account, saying his brother had passed away the previous day. Despite urgently needing to travel, the only ticket prices available were Rs 36,000, Rs 38,000, and Rs 40,000, far beyond what his family could afford. He explained that his late brother’s parents were waiting helplessly, unable to secure an affordable flight to reach their son.
#WATCH | Mumbai: Passengers complain as IndiGo suffers flight delays and cancellations.
An IndiGo passenger, Sanjay, says, “They are saying that IndiGo has been reporting glitches for the past 2 days. The software update in Airbus is causing these glitches, so their schedule has… pic.twitter.com/Dzq6bx1Tlt
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025
Regulatory scrutiny intensifies
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the widespread disruptions and asked IndiGo to submit reasons for the crisis, along with its action plan to bring down delays and cancellations.
Pilot body Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) alleged that IndiGo imposed a “hiring freeze” despite having a two-year preparatory window before the new FDTL norms took full effect.
FIP has urged the DGCA not to approve airlines’ seasonal schedules unless they have enough crew to operate safely and reliably.
It also suggested that the DGCA consider reevaluating and reallocating flight slots to airlines capable of operating them without disruption, especially during the peak holiday and fog seasons.
Aviation network under strain
Officials warned that disruptions may continue as crew shortages persist, causing delays to ripple through the system. Passengers have been advised to keep checking flight status and prepare for extended waiting times at airports.
