IndiGo’s flight disruptions continued for the eighth straight day, prompting the civil aviation ministry to order a 10% reduction in the airline’s operations while ensuring all destinations remain covered. Earlier, the DGCA had scaled down IndiGo’s winter schedule by 5%, noting the airline’s inability to manage its roster and schedules efficiently. Despite being the country’s largest domestic carrier with a 60% market share and operating 2,200 daily flights in winter, the airline has struggled to stabilise its network.

More than 400 flights were cancelled on Tuesday alone, mainly in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Since last week, close to 5,000 flights have been cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. While IndiGo claims operations are gradually returning to normal, airports across the country continue to witness heavy backlogs in both flights and baggage.

Tuesday’s cancellations included 152 flights in Delhi, 121 in Bengaluru, 58 in Hyderabad, 41 in Chennai, 16 in Ahmedabad, three in Mumbai, and four in Thiruvananthapuram. The crisis is linked to IndiGo’s failure to smoothly implement the second phase of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations introduced in November, which increased rest hours for pilots. The carrier has been grappling with a shortage of pilots, leading to widespread scheduling challenges.

To reduce passenger inconvenience, the DGCA has temporarily eased certain duty norms related to night operations, extended shifts, and weekly rest requirements. Meanwhile, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu informed Parliament that IndiGo did not indicate any operational concerns in a key meeting held on December 1—just a day before mass cancellations began. He attributed the chaos to internal issues within the airline and emphasized the need for more players in the aviation sector to avoid duopoly-like situations.

IndiGo has reported that refunds and baggage deliveries are progressing, with efforts underway to operate nearly 1,900 flights on Wednesday as part of recovery measures.