IndiGo’s CEO admitted the airline is facing its worst-ever operational meltdown, with over 1,000 flights cancelled in a single day. He said the crisis—triggered by system reboot issues, crew shortages, and cascading operational failures—may take up to ten days to fully stabilise.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, December 5, 2025: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Friday publicly acknowledged that India’s largest airline is facing an unprecedented operational meltdown, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled in a single day across major airports. Calling December 5 the airline’s “worst day in terms of operational disruption,” Elbers said the crisis was triggered by a chain reaction of technical, staffing and regulatory challenges.
Elbers added that cancellations may continue on Saturday but the numbers are expected to drop “below 1,000.” Normalcy, he said, may only return between December 10 and 15, as teams work “round the clock” to stabilise the system.
In a video message to passengers, the IndiGo CEO said,
“We have experienced severe operational disruptions for the past few days. Today has been the most severely impacted, with cancellations well over a thousand — more than half of our daily flights.”
He urged travellers not to go to airports for flights that have already been cancelled and apologised for the “major inconvenience” caused.
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Minor Glitches Triggered Cascading Failure, Says IndiGo
Elbers explained that the disruption stemmed from the rebooting of IndiGo’s entire operational system, which was simultaneously compounded by:
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Minor technology glitches
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Last-minute schedule changes
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Adverse winter weather
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Heavy congestion in the aviation network
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Transition challenges caused by new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms
“This was an accumulation of factors that created a negative cascading impact,” he wrote in an internal email to staff, adding that the airline “could not live up to its promise” to passengers.
The collapse has resulted in long queues, stranded passengers, missing baggage, and significant delays at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai.
New :
– @IndiGo6E CEO Pieter Elbers finally makes a comment
– Trying to fly stranded passengers first, call centre capacity improved
– Normalisation will take time, rebooting our processes
– Admits it has destroyed IndiGo’s credibility built over 19 years
— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) December 5, 2025
Centre Orders High-Level Probe Into IndiGo Crisis
Amid growing public outrage, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Friday ordered a high-level probe to determine how India’s biggest airline plunged into a nationwide shutdown-like scenario.
Key Elements of the Government Inquiry (as typically undertaken in aviation disruptions):
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DGCA to submit a detailed report on the sequence of events, staff availability, and compliance with operational norms.
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Audit of IndiGo’s scheduling systems, reserve crew strength, and contingency protocols.
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Examination of whether the airline properly informed passengers, issued refunds, and complied with passenger rights guidelines.
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A review of whether new FDTL norms were implemented correctly and whether crew rosters were prepared in accordance with safety regulations.
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Assessment of the airline’s crisis-management mechanisms, including digital systems, communication, and escalation protocols.
A senior government official said the inquiry would “fix responsibility for the failure and recommend corrective actions to ensure such a collapse does not recur.”
Passengers have also begun writing to the aviation regulator and the Civil Aviation Minister, citing “poor communication,” “hours-long queues,” and “no assistance at airports,” prompting the ministry to warn IndiGo that “airlines must prioritise passenger welfare during disruptions.”
