IndiGo cancels over 400 flights at various airports on Friday : Steps to get a refund

PTI, December 05, 2025,Mumbai/ Delhi :  IndiGo cancelled more than 400 flights, and a large number of flights were delayed at various airports on Friday, according to sources.

Hundreds of passengers faced hardships at the airports as flights were delayed for long periods.

The sources told PTI that over 220 flights, including departures and arrivals, were cancelled at the Delhi airport, while more than 100 were cancelled at the Bangalore airport.

At the Hyderabad airport, over 90 flights were cancelled, the sources said.

There were also cancellations at other airports, and many flights were delayed.

IndiGo has been grappling with operational disruptions due to cabin crew woes and other factors.

The civil aviation ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are closely monitoring the situation regarding IndiGo flight disruptions that have been ongoing for the past few days.

On Thursday, IndiGo told the aviation regulator, the DGCA, that flight operations are expected to be fully stabilised by February 10, 2026.

The Week : Amid the ongoing crisis and the chaos caused by flight cancellations and delays, IndiGo has promised the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that its operations will be fully restored by February 10. According to media reports, the company asked for relief from some provisions that limit pilot duty while acknowledging that the disruptions have arisen primarily from "misjudgment and planning gaps" in implementing the second phase of pilot duty rules.

IndiGo told the regulator that more cancellations will continue for next two to three days as part of schedule stabilisation efforts and that it will reduce flight operations from December 8 to minimise disruptions.

DGCA, in a statement, noted that IndiGo has been experiencing sharp rise in cancellations at around 170-200 flights per day, which is substantially higher than normal.

Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers admitted that the airline could not live up to the promise of providing a good experience to customers.

In a message to the staff on Thursday, Elbers said the airline's immediate goal is to normalise operations and bring punctuality back on track. He, however, admitted that this is not an easy target.

On Thursday alone, more than 300 IndiGo flights were cancelled, and scores of others were delayed.

Elbers said these past few days have been difficult for many of IndiGo's customers and colleagues. "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 said.

He observed that several operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion in the aviation ecosystem, and the implementation of the newly released FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms-compounded negatively to create a cascading impact on the airline's operations.

"Given the size, scale and complexity of our network, these disruptions grow large immediately and require interventions on multiple levels and dimensions. For that a lot of work is being conducted right now. Our immediate goal is to normalise our operations and bring punctuality back on track in the coming days, which is not an easy target," the CEO said.

As operational disruptions continued for the third day on Thursday, IndiGo cancelled more than 300 domestic and international flights at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, affecting the travel plans of thousands of passengers.

At least 95 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport, 85 at the Mumbai airport, 70 at Hyderabad and 50 at Bengaluru. Besides, there were cancellations at other airports as well, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.

The number of flight cancellations is likely to be higher by the end of the day.

"IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across the airports," PTI quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it is investigating IndiGo flight disruptions and has asked the airline to submit the reasons for the current situation, as well as its plans to reduce flight cancellations and delays.

IndiGo said it is offering affected customers alternate travel arrangements to reach their destinations or refunds, as applicable.

According to an Economic Times report, passengers who opt for refunds will receive the money through their original mode of payment. The passengers also have the option to choose a credit shell, which could be used for future travel.

Passengers who are seeking refunds are asked to provide their PNR or transaction ID.

Steps to get a refund

Go to: https://www.goindigo.in/refund.html

Provide your PNR or booking reference number along with your email ID or last name.

Choose the ‘Cancel Booking’ option to proceed.

After cancellation, you can choose your preferred refund method and confirm the cancellation.

Verify the details, and click ‘Proceed.’

The refund is usually processed within 5-7 working days. 

IndiGo chaos worsens: Second Hyderabad flight diverted to Mumbai over bomb scarendiGo Operational Turmoil Continues as 400 Flights Cancelled on Day 3

IndiGo’s operational crisis persisted into its third day on Friday, with around 400 flights cancelled, adding to the more than 550 cancellations reported the previous day. The cancellations impacted major airports, including those in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, resulting in widespread chaos.

At Mumbai airport, 104 IndiGo flights — comprising 53 departures and 51 arrivals — were cancelled since the morning. Bengaluru followed closely, reporting 52 cancelled arrivals and 50 departures. Meanwhile, Hyderabad recorded the cancellation of 43 arriving and 49 departing flights as of Friday morning. Pune's airport saw 32 cancellations between 12 am and 8 am, with one arriving flight from Nagpur diverted to Hyderabad.

Pune Airport's director noted that the situation was exacerbated by parking bay congestion, as several IndiGo planes remained grounded, awaiting crew availability. This caused delays across multiple carriers, with the airport coordinating with airlines, ground handling services, and Air Traffic Control to manage the congestion and restore normal operations.

Thiruvananthapuram airport also witnessed flight delays and cancellations over the past two days. On Friday, three arrivals and three departures were delayed, and two arrivals and two departures were cancelled. The previous day, five arrivals and five departures were delayed.

IndiGo has yet to provide a comprehensive update on the cause of the operational disruptions.