India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has axed all domestic flights departing Delhi Airport (DEL) on the fourth day of an unprecedented crisis that has led to hundreds of cancellations.
On December 5, 2025, IndiGo issued an apology to all passengers who have been affected or left stranded by severe crew shortages over recent days.
In a statement, IndiGo said: “We do deeply apologize and understand how difficult the past few days have been for many of you. While this will not get resolved overnight, we assure you that we will do everything in our capacity to help you in the meantime and to bring our operations back to the normal at the earliest.”
The airline explained that it had suffered from a “serious operational crisis” and is rebooting all of its systems and schedules, with the intention of “progressive improvement starting tomorrow”.
IndiGo admitted that December 5, 2025, will be the day with the highest number of cancellations, but it is hoping to ease operations and “decongest airports” soon.
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 5, 2025
According to the Hindustan Times, over 1,000 flights have been cancelled over the past four days, with major cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad all impacted.
Central to the current problems are new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules recently introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
These include a weekly rest period for pilots of 48 hours, plus a reduction in night landings from a possible six to two.
According to the BBC, the DGCA said the disruptions were mainly caused by the “misjudgment and planning gaps” in implementing the new rules.
The phase implementation concluded on November 1, 2025. The expectation is that operations will be back to full service by February 10, 2025.
With passengers facing long delays and cancellations, tempers among some have begun to fray, with footage emerging of people remonstrating IndiGo staff.
When passengers start throwing water, shouting and cornering @IndiGo6E staff, we cross a line no delay can justify.
— VT-VLO (@Vinamralongani) December 5, 2025
These are humans doing their best despite operational challenges.
They deserve basic respect, even in moments of frustration.#AvGeekpic.twitter.com/SFrj331wZx
A video shared online appears to show a person pouring water over an official, although AeroTime has been unable to verify its authenticity.
Other Indian airlines such as SpiceJet have put on additional departures today and tomorrow, aimed at passengers affected by IndiGo’s disruptions.