Passenger Support Announced Amid IndiGo Operational Disruptions
New Delhi: IndiGo Airlines continued to face extensive operational disruptions across domestic and international sectors today, creating large-scale travel uncertainty for thousands of passengers at major airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. More than 400–700 cancellations and delays were recorded through the day, with the cumulative impact since December 2 resulting in over 1,000 disrupted services. The Ministry of Civil Aviation placed the Flight Duty Time Limitations orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in abeyance with immediate effect to stabilise airline operations.
Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said, “The Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders of the DGCA have been placed in abeyance with immediate effect. Without compromising on air safety, this decision has been taken solely in the interest of passengers, especially senior citizens, students, patients, and others who rely on timely air travel for essential needs.” He added that directed operational measures were expected to bring gradual stabilisation, stating, “Flight schedules will begin to stabilise and return to normal by tomorrow. We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved within the next three days.” He also said, “In case of any flight cancellations, the airlines will issue full refunds automatically, without the need for passengers to make any requests. Passengers who are stranded due to prolonged delays will be provided with hotel accommodation arranged directly by the airlines.” On support for vulnerable groups, he noted that senior citizens and differently abled passengers will receive lounge access and all possible assistance, while refreshments and essential services will be provided to all passengers affected by delays.
The Minister announced a high-level inquiry into the disruptions, saying, “The inquiry will examine what went wrong at IndiGo, determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions, and recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future, ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again.” A 24×7 control room is monitoring the situation to ensure coordination, oversight and correction.
Railways Deploy 116 Extra Coaches Across 37 Trains to Ease Travel Disruptions from Flight Cancellations
In parallel with the aviation measures, Indian Railways has stepped in to accommodate the sharp surge in inter-city travel demand caused by nationwide flight cancellations. A total of 37 trains have been augmented with 116 additional coaches over 114 augmented trips across the country. Southern Railway has carried out the highest number of augmentations, enhancing capacity in 18 trains and deploying additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches on high-demand routes from December 6. Northern Railway has augmented eight trains with 3AC and Chair Car coaches from today, easing pressure on northern corridors. Western Railway has added 3AC and 2AC coaches to four high-demand trains, effective December 6, responding to increased movement from western states to the national capital. East Central Railway has strengthened the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi service (12309) with additional 2AC coaches over five trips between December 6 and 10, and East Coast Railway has augmented Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services (20817/20811/20823) with 2AC coaches across five trips. Eastern Railway has added Sleeper Class coaches over six trips on December 7–8 on its main routes, while Northeast Frontier Railway has augmented two key trains with 3AC and Sleeper coaches over eight trips each from December 6 to 13. Indian Railways is also operating four special services, including the Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur Special between December 7 and 9, the Reserved Vande Bharat Special on December 6 on the New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi sector, the New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special on December 6 and 7, and the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special operating one-way on December 6. These measures are aimed at easing travel pressure, expanding accommodation capacity, and ensuring mobility at a time of heightened demand.
Also read: IndiGo Flight Chaos: Ministry Demands Swift Operational Fix
IndiGo’s disruption has been closely linked to the phased implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations, which impose restrictions on duty hours and night landings and mandate additional crew rest periods, increasing pilot and cabin crew requirements to sustain the existing flight schedule. IndiGo conveyed earlier that its operational strain resulted from the combined effect of FDTL compliance, crew shortages, and seasonal weather constraints in the northern and eastern regions. The disruptions escalated through early December, with certain days registering more than 200 cancellations and on-time performance dropping to historically low levels.
Yesterday, Minister Naidu chaired a high-level review with IndiGo top management, the Secretary of Civil Aviation, the Director General of the DGCA and representatives of the Airports Authority of India. The airline was instructed to normalise operations without affecting passenger fares, communicate proactively with travellers, and provide accommodation where required. DGCA officers were deployed to IndiGo’s operational control centres and major airports to monitor scheduling, crowd management and passenger care arrangements.
The unfolding situation continues to test operational planning and regulatory compliance within India’s expanding aviation sector. Airlines are expected to show progress over the next few days, while the inquiry examines the causes and accountability for the current disruption. Real-time passenger information continues to be available on airline websites, airport dashboards and through the Ministry’s control room. The government maintains that travel safety, accessibility and passenger convenience remain the priority until operations stabilise fully.
– global bihari bureau
