IndiGo on Friday confirmed that all domestic departures from Delhi Airport (DEL) on December 5, 2025 have been cancelled, up to 11:59 pm. The airline expressed regret over the inconvenience and said affected passengers will receive refreshments, rebooking on the next available flight as per their preference, hotel accommodation arrangements, assistance with baggage retrieval, and full refund where applicable.
“We confirm that all domestic IndiGo flights scheduled to depart from Delhi Airport (DEL) on December 5, 2025, have been canceled up to 11:59 PM. We express our sincere apologies to our esteemed customers and stakeholders who have been severely affected by these unforeseen circumstances. To support passengers, we are offering refreshments, alternative flight options based on their choice, hotel accommodation, baggage collection assistance and full refund where appropriate. We advise all passengers scheduled to depart from Delhi today to contact our ground staff The airline said at the airport for instructions on collecting luggage.
On Friday, IndiGo canceled more than 400 domestic flights, while other flights were severely delayed. Passengers – including children and elderly passengers – were left waiting for hours with little information about revised departure times.
“Passengers can visit our website at https://www.goindigo.in/refund.html or contact our customer care for assistance. We understand the huge inconvenience this has caused and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience,” she added.
Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are the worst affected
Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad emerged as the worst affected, with Delhi recording more than 220 cancellations, Bengaluru more than 100, and Hyderabad about 90. Several other airports also reported major cancellations and delays, turning the disruption into a nationwide aviation crisis rather than a regional problem.
Delhi Airport: More than 220 cancellations
Bengaluru Airport: More than 100 cancellations
Hyderabad Airport: About 90 cancellations
Several other airports also reported flight cancellations and significant delays, turning the disruption into a nationwide air setback rather than an isolated regional issue.
DGCA grants relief
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) took the unusual step of asking its inspectors to operate IndiGo flights, even though such contract pilots are typically limited to audit duties for five years and are not allowed to fly for any airline during that period. Besides, the regulator has granted IndiGo and other carriers additional relaxations under the new pilot rest rules, including relaxing the night landing cap and allowing airlines to combine pilot leave with mandatory weekly rest periods.
These extraordinary measures come at a time when IndiGo, which controls more than 60 percent of India’s domestic aviation market, faces a severe shortage of pilots that has led to the cancellation of thousands of flights. In a bid to stabilize operations, the airline suspended all domestic departures from major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as part of the operational reset agreed upon during a meeting with DGCA officials on Thursday evening.
Pilot comfort rules
The DGCA rolled out revised pilot rest rules in two phases to address growing concerns about fatigue – the first in June and the second on November 1, which put a cap on the number of landings a pilot can make between midnight and 6am.
The second phase has already been postponed by a year to give airlines time to adjust their crew planning, after airlines warned of widespread cancellations if implemented sooner. Although IndiGo and other airlines pushed for another postponement, the regulator eventually imposed the rules with only limited relaxations, following a directive from the Delhi High Court.
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2025-12-05 09:09:00
