New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered a "high-level inquiry" in response to what is being likened to a "meltdown" in IndiGo’s nationwide operations, which entered its fourth straight day on Friday.

Civil aviation minsiter Ram Mohan Naidu said in a statement issued early Friday evening that normal flight operations are expected to "begin to stabilise and return to normal by tomorrow [Saturday, December 6]".

"We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved in the next three days," he said.

The distress Indigo finds itself in has led to hundreds upon hundreds of flight cancellations. Even after the DGCA's exemption from Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules around midday, social media has been full of footage of thousands of stranded passengers and mounds of luggage, along with post after post essaying the grave troubles that the cancellations have thrown people into.

A video clip showing a crush of passengers at an airport reception, and a father shouting that his daughter is in need of a sanitary napkin, has been shared hundreds of times, encapsulating the helplessness of the average passenger in this scenario.

Some news outlets reported that a total of 1,300 flights have been cancelled. Many wrote that they expected accountability from an airline known for its punctuality. IndiGo has a near monopoly over India's airline sector.

"Today should be the day with the highest number of cancellations, as we are doing all that is necessary to reboot all our systems and schedules for progressive improvement starting tomorrow. Our teams are working to reinstate regular operations in alignment with the Ministry and DGCA. Short-term proactive cancellations are being made to ease operations, decongest the airports to prepare for starting stronger tomorrow," IndiGo said in a note on social media.

Indeed, cancellation announcements have come thick and fast, like this one by the Delhi Airport, saying that no IndiGo plane will leave the Delhi airport for a full day today.

IndiGo's absence from the list has led to other carriers bumping up their prices to extraordinary amounts. The Wire found that the prices of flights today between two metro cities, Mumbai and Kolkata, started from Rs 71,559.

Hindustan Times reported that the airline’s trouble began earlier this week after an Airbus A320 software update advisory caused a chain of delays, pushing several flights into late-night operations.

Then kicked in the tightened FDTL norms that determine how long pilots can be on duty, how many hours they can fly, how many night landings they may perform, and the minimum rest they must receive.

Under the chaotic circumstances at airports, the DGCA issued a letter withdrawing the instructions on pilots' weekly rest to "ensure continuity of operations in view of current disruptions". The earlier norm had called for 48 consecutive hours of weekly rest for pilots and that their leave period cannot be considered part of the weekly rest.

The DGCA has also given IndiGo a one-time exemption from pilot night duty rules.

The Airline Pilots' Association of India has written a note in response to the DGCA's decision, saying that it was concerned and disappointed with the u-turn. "It is with profound concern and deep disappointment that we write to you regarding the recent selective dispensations granted to IndiGo Airlines in respect of the implementation of the revised FDTL CAR (Phase Il). This decision, taken despite repeated representations, formal letters, and direct discussions with your esteemed office, has undermined the very spirit of the FDTL regulations and gravely compromised the safety of the flying public," it said.

The Morning Context has reported, however, that the real trigger behind the crisis may not have been the FDTL norms or the technical glitches that IndiGo itself pointed to a statement on December 3. The report points to a cabin crew recruitment drive held by an international airline in Mumbai this week.

“A lot of cabin crew from IndiGo had taken off to attend the recruitment camp organized by this airline. With all the other factors in play, the shortage of cabin crew set off the chaos in the airline’s operations,” a senior executive told Morning Context.

IndiGo said in its note that it will ensure refunds and offer a full waiver on cancellation and rescheduling requests till December 15. It says:

• We will ensure that all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment
• We will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests of your bookings for travel between 05 December 2025 to 15 December 2025
• Thousands of hotel rooms across cities and surface transport have been arranged for the convenience of our customers
• We are trying to ensure that food and snacks are being provided to our waiting customers at the airports
• Lounge access is being arranged for senior citizens, wherever possible

"We will do everything to earn back your trust and the love you have showered on us in the last 19 years and we can’t lose it at any cost," it noted.

IndiGo along with Spicejet were among aviation companies that purchased the highest amount of electoral bonds, it was reported in 2024.

Through its parent company InterGlobe Aviation and related entities – InterGlobe Air Transport and InterGlobe Real Estate Ventures – bought bonds worth Rs 36 crores in 2019 and late 2023. Rahul Bhatia, a promoter for IndiGo, bought bonds worth Rs 20 crore in April 2021.

The minister of aviation said in his statement that airlines have been instructed to provide regular and accurate updates on flight timings, delays and cancellations, which passengers can monitor from home. It has asked airlines to make full refunds automatically when flights are cancelled. "Pasengers who are stranded due to prolonged delays will be provided hotl accommodation arranged directly by the airlines," the statement said. Naidu said the Union government has established a control room to "monitor the situation".

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