IndiGo told to cut winter schedule by 10% after mass cancellations; DGCA issues fresh notice — Check what changes for passengers

India’s aviation regulator has stepped in after weeks of heavy disruptions across the domestic network. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered IndiGo to slash its Winter Schedule 2025 by at least 10 per cent, saying the airline has been unable to operate its approved capacity and has caused large-scale inconvenience to passengers nationwide. The Ministry of Civil Aviation reviewed the situation and directed DGCA to revise the airline’s winter schedule immediately, citing “abnormal cancellations” and “inadequate operational resource management”.

What triggered the cut?

The move comes after DGCA examined IndiGo’s November performance against the approved winter schedule. The airline had clearance for 15,014 departures per week - the largest among domestic carriers - translating to 64,346 flights for November.

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However, operational data showed that IndiGo managed to operate only 59,438 flights, recording 951 cancellations during the month. Officials noted that the airline failed to deploy the aircraft and crew required to support its expanded winter operations.

The regulator observed that although IndiGo was permitted a 6 per cent increase in departures compared with the Summer Schedule 2025, it operated only 339 aircraft in October and 344 in November, far below the 403 aircraft originally indicated.

What changes now?

DGCA has directed IndiGo to cut its schedule by a minimum of 10 per cent across sectors, with priority on reducing frequencies on high-demand and high-frequency routes where disruptions have been most visible.

This means:

• 1,501 flights per week will be removed from the airline’s winter schedule
• On a daily basis, roughly 215 flights will be dropped
• IndiGo’s daily operations will fall from 2,145 flights to about 1,930

The regulator has also advised the airline to avoid single-flight operations on vulnerable routes, where a cancellation leaves no alternative service for passengers.

IndiGo has been asked to submit a revised winter schedule by 5 pm on 10 December.

Why the Ministry stepped in?

The Civil Aviation Ministry noted that cancellations in recent weeks had led to “substantial disruption” in air traffic across the country. Officials said the airline did not adequately plan for aircraft availability, pilot deployment, or weather-related contingencies - all key factors during the high-traffic winter season.

The Ministry has ordered DGCA to keep the situation under continuous review, with further corrective action possible if the airline fails to stabilise operations.

How other airlines will operate this winter?

The approved Winter Schedule 2025 covers 26,495 weekly departures across 126 airports. IndiGo still remains the largest domestic operator even after the reduction, followed by Air India and AI Express.

Departures per week (WS25):

• IndiGo – 15,014
• Air India – 4,277
• AI Express – 3,171
• SpiceJet – 1,568
• Akasa Air – 1,027

Four new airports - Amravati, Hissar, Purnia and Rupsi - have been added to the winter network this year.

What passengers should expect?

Travellers booked on IndiGo flights between December and March may see rescheduling, cancellations or shifts to alternate timings as the revised schedule takes effect.
Passengers have been advised to:

• Check flight status frequently
• Keep buffer time for connecting journeys
• Opt for free rebooking where offered

DGCA has said the priority is to bring stability back to the domestic network without compromising safety or operational reliability.