DGCA orders 5% cut in IndiGo’s winter schedule after week-long flight disruptions

India’s aviation regulator says IndiGo has failed to operate its approved winter schedule, prompting a mandatory reduction and a call for a revised plan.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken strong action against IndiGo, directing the airline to reduce its winter flight schedule by 5% following eight consecutive days of large-scale cancellations across the country.

In its order issued on Tuesday, the aviation regulator said IndiGo has failed to demonstrate the ability to operate its approved winter schedule effectively. DGCA noted that the airline must submit a fully revised schedule by 5 pm on December 10.

A notice issued by the regulator on December 8 highlighted that despite receiving approval for a massive winter schedule, IndiGo could not operate the required number of flights.

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Under the Winter Schedule (WS) 2025, IndiGo was cleared to operate 15,014 weekly departures, totalling 64,346 flights for November 2025.

However, data shows the airline operated only 59,438 flights, falling short by almost 5,000 operations. DGCA confirmed 951 cancellations in November alone.

The regulator also pointed out discrepancies in IndiGo’s aircraft utilisation. IndiGo was allowed to increase its aircraft deployment from 351 aircraft in Summer Schedule 2025 (SS25) to 403 aircraft for WS25, a 6% rise.

But records show the airline operated only 339 aircraft in October and 344 in November, significantly below the approved levels.

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DGCA further noted that IndiGo’s departures had increased by 9.66% compared to WS24 and 6.05% compared to SS25, raising concerns over whether the airline overstretched its operational capacity.

Aviation analysts estimate that the reduction in IndiGo’s schedule may impact the airline’s overall revenue by less than 4%.

The freed-up slots are likely to help Air India, which has requested 60–70 additional daily flights.

Gagan Dixit, Senior Vice President at Elara Securities, said the move gives Tata-owned Air India a temporary competitive edge, especially on high-demand duopoly routes shared by Air India and IndiGo.

Dixit added that if IndiGo retains its monopoly slots and airlines manage to secure 5–7% higher fares, the revenue impact may remain under 5% in the coming months.

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