IndiGo Flight Crisis: What PM Modi said as cancellations hit major airports

India’s largest airline continued to reel under a wave of cancellations on Tuesday, triggering long queues, anxious passengers and mounting disruptions across major airports. As the crisis deepened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told NDA MPs that passengers must not suffer because of operational chaos and stressed that any system-related correction should not come at the cost of public inconvenience. His remarks came hours before the issue was raised in Parliament, where the government is expected to outline the path to restoring full operations.

PM Modi's message: 'People should not be troubled'

Addressing NDA MPs at a parliamentary party meeting, the Prime Minister said that while reforms and system improvements are important, they must be implemented in a way that does not burden citizens. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, speaking to reporters, said the PM made it clear that passengers facing delays and cancellations must receive immediate support and that “rules and laws are good, but no system correction should trouble people”.

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The comments offered the first political signal from the government amid growing frustration among travellers, especially after more than 650 cancellations on December 7.

Cancellations continue across major airports

Despite efforts to stabilise the network, IndiGo’s cancellations stretched through Tuesday, affecting operations nationwide. Delhi’s IGI Airport remained the worst hit, confirming 152 cancellations—an equal split between arrivals and departures. Bengaluru reported over 120 cancellations, while Chennai saw more than 40 flights grounded through the day.

Hyderabad witnessed notable disruption too, with 44 departures and 14 arrivals cancelled, while Mumbai reported 31 cancellations as of its morning update. Patna, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram also reported scattered cancellations but remained relatively less affected.

Airport authorities said passenger handling teams had been deployed in larger numbers to prevent overcrowding and assist with rebooking and refunds.

Civil Aviation Ministry: Operations improving

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told the Lok Sabha that IndiGo’s operations were “stabilising fast”, noting that the airline operated 1,800 flights on Monday, compared with just 706 on December 5, when the crisis peaked. He emphasised that aviation safety remains non-negotiable and that the government was monitoring the situation closely.

The minister also indicated that no distress or crowding had been reported at airports as of Tuesday afternoon, pointing to better coordination between airlines, airports and the regulator.

DGCA orders curbs: Airline told to cut flights

In a significant move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered IndiGo to reduce its operations by 5 per cent across sectors. The regulator said the airline had failed to operate its approved winter schedule efficiently and must now file a revised timetable by 5 pm on December 10.

According to DGCA data, IndiGo was cleared to operate 64,346 flights in November but managed to fly only 59,438, with 951 cancellations during the month. The regulator said stabilisation must precede any further expansion of capacity.

When will normal operations resume?

IndiGo has informed the government that it expects operations to return to normal by December 10, a significant improvement from its earlier estimate of February. The airline has cited a mix of technical directives, crew shortages and operational resets as reasons behind the disruption.