IndiGo is India’s leading domestic carrier. IndiGo has cancelled over 560 flights on the 4th of December. And caused widespread disruption at airports across India. According IndiGo the cancellations hit major cities heavily. Delhi was the most affected, with at least 172 flights cancelled, while Mumbai was hit with 118 cancellations. Bengaluru 100 and Hyderabad 75, Hyderabad 75, Kolkata 35, Chennai 26 and Goa 11.

Thousands of travelers were trapped as their departures. And arrivals were abruptly cancelled Many were left scrambling to find alternative travel plans without notice. In a statement released on X, IndiGo expressed regret and offered an “heartfelt apology” to all customers and all stakeholders.

The airline blamed the crisis on a confluence of operational challenges — minor technology glitches. Schedule changes, adverse weather, heavier-than-expected airspace congestion. And recently introduced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms that disrupted crew scheduling. The airline admitted that it underestimated the requirements for crews under the regulations. And this led to the apprehension of cancellations.

In response, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) called an informal meeting with officials from IndiGo. As well as other aviation authorities to investigate the disruptions and look at mitigation strategies. IndiGo’s CEO had reportedly informed staff that restoring full operation and punctuality wouldn’t be “an easy to achieve.”

The airline has said that it is cooperating with airport officials. Regulators as well as other stakeholders to limit the ripple effect of cancellations. And delays encouraging passengers to regularly check the status of their flights for updates.