India’s aviation sector has been shaken by what is now one of the most significant operational disruptions in the country’s airline history. Indigo, which handles nearly 60 per cent of India’s domestic air traffic, faced abrupt mass cancellations, grounding hundreds of flights across major airports. As passengers scrambled for information and rebooking options, the natural question emerged: why did this crisis occur?
Here is a breakdown of the underlying causes and how both Indigo and the aviation ministry are working to stabilise operations.
The root cause: A sudden shortage of cockpit crew
According to ongoing reports, the airline’s operational collapse stems from an unexpected and large-scale pilot shortage. The primary factor appears to be:
• High levels of sick leave among pilots, reportedly due to stress and scheduling fatigue
• Long working hours and insufficient rest cycles, leading to crew exhaustion
• Training backlogs, where pilots were already scheduled for simulator sessions and assessments
• Internal dissatisfaction, resulting in coordinated no-shows (though not officially classified as a strike)
This combination caused a domino effect—without adequate cockpit crew, Indigo was forced to ground aircraft, resulting in cascading cancellations.
Congestion across major airports
Airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad saw severe overcrowding as stranded passengers waited for updates. Handling the volume of rebooking requests, baggage claims and helpdesk queries slowed the system further, worsening delays across the network.
In response to the crisis, Indigo has announced several corrective measures:
Increasing pilot availability
The airline is reorganising pilot rosters, calling in standby staff, and fast-tracking return-to-duty clearances.
Reducing flight load temporarily
To prevent cascading cancellations, Indigo is adjusting its schedule and operating fewer flights to match crew availability.
Enhancing customer support
Additional manpower is being deployed across airports and call centres to manage refunds, rebooking and lost luggage.
Expedited training cycles
Pending simulator sessions and certifications are being reorganised to clear backlogs faster.
What the aviation ministry and DGCA are doing
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken an active role in monitoring and stabilising the situation:
- Mandated daily operational reports
Indigo must submit daily updates detailing pilot availability, cancellations and crew scheduling patterns.
- Passenger protection oversight
The ministry is ensuring that DGCA guidelines on refunds, compensation and care provisions are being followed.
- Evaluating crew fatigue policies
Given rising concerns about pilot burnout, DGCA is reviewing duty-hour regulations and rest norms.
- Exploring inter-airline support
Authorities are coordinating with other carriers to accommodate stranded passengers where possible.
The Indigo crisis is a stark reminder of how dependent aviation operations are on well-balanced crew management and transparent scheduling systems. With both the airline and the government stepping in aggressively, the situation is slowly moving toward stabilisation. However, the incident also opens up larger conversations about workforce wellbeing, systemic preparedness and regulatory vigilance in India’s rapidly growing aviation sector.
