India's aviation sector faced unprecedented disruption as IndiGo Airlines cancelled over 1,500 flights in recent days, marking the worst operational crisis in the airline's history. On Thursday alone, more than 550 flights were grounded - the highest single-day cancellation ever recorded by the carrier.
All domestic IndiGo flights from Delhi Airport were cancelled until midnight on December 5, 2025, causing massive chaos at airports nationwide. The crisis, attributed to crew mismanagement and pilot shortages, has led to air fares surging up to six times normal rates. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology and announced waivers on all cancellations and booking changes for travel between December 5 and December 15.
The Indian government has formed a special panel to investigate the disruption, with Aviation Minister stating that whoever was responsible for the chaos needs to be held accountable. The airline expects operations to normalize by December 10.
