IndiGo cancels 200 flights nationwide, Bengaluru passengers face hours of delay

Passengers stranded for hours at Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad as large-scale cancellations hit India’s biggest airline due to technical issues and new duty-time rules.

Air travel across India was thrown into turmoil after IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, cancelled nearly 200 flights citing technical issues, staff shortage and the impact of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations. The sudden cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports, triggering frustration and crowding inside terminals.

At Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, the disruption was severe. A total of 42 domestic flights were cancelled, including 22 arrivals and 20 departures, resulting in long queues, congested waiting areas and widespread complaints from travellers who were unable to find space to sit or access timely updates.

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Airports in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad also saw similar scenes, with passengers waiting for hours as schedules continued to change without clarity. The combination of technical problems and staffing gaps, especially among pilots, created a nationwide ripple effect.

According to aviation sources, one of the major reasons behind the crisis is the implementation of the new FDTL regulations, which significantly alter pilot work-rest timings.

 The updated rules have:

• Increased weekly rest from 36 hours to 48 hours
• Limited night landings from six per week to only two
• Extended night duty restrictions

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These changes have sharply reduced pilot availability, creating an operational crunch for IndiGo. The winter season has added to the complications due to tighter schedules, weather-related disruptions and increased passenger load.

The airline’s technical issues, combined with the shortage of cockpit crew, led to the mass cancellations and delays. As airports struggled to manage the surge of stranded passengers, scenes of exhaustion and anger were reported, particularly from Bengaluru where inside the terminal, travellers expressed distress over lack of seating and information.