NEW DELHI — IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has suspended all domestic flights from New Delhi airport until midnight on December 5, local time, as it grapples with ongoing operational disruptions. The cancellations are linked to the enforcement of new pilot rest regulations and recent technology failures affecting the airline’s schedule.
The airport operator announced the suspension in a post on X, reassuring that flights operated by other carriers will continue as planned. IndiGo dominates the domestic aviation market with nearly 66% share, making this disruption particularly impactful.
Shares of Inter Globe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, fell by as much as 3.1% in Mumbai trading on December 5 due to the lingering flight schedule chaos, which has persisted for four consecutive days.
To mitigate disruption, IndiGo intends to reduce its overall flight schedule starting December 8, in compliance with the updated pilot duty hour restrictions imposed by India’s aviation regulator. The sudden cancellations, over 300 departures were scrapped on December 4, are compounded by cabin crew shortages and operational challenges attributed to winter conditions, according to the regulator.
The airline industry continues to monitor Indigo’s adjustments as they strive to stabilize operations amidst regulatory compliance and seasonal difficulties.