New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken decisive and rapid action to stabilize the aviation sector following one of the worst operational crises in Indian history, triggered by IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations over the last few days. The disruption was primarily caused by the airline’s sudden and acute shortage of cockpit crew in the wake of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for pilots coming into effect.
The MoCA stepped in to manage the chaos, focusing on restoring stability and protecting passenger interests.
In a major move to check profiteering, the Ministry imposed an immediate cap on airfares across affected routes. This intervention was necessary due to the temporary surge in airfares caused by the shift in demand following the mass cancellations, and the move has successfully moderated ticket prices to “acceptable limits”.
Strict directives were issued to IndiGo requiring all refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights be completed quickly. As a result, IndiGo has reportedly processed refunds totalling ₹610 crore.
The Ministry also mandated that no additional fees are to be charged for rescheduling travel impacted by the cancellations.
IndiGo has been instructed to trace and deliver all separated baggage within 48 hours, a push that has already resulted in the successful delivery of 3,000 pieces of luggage across India.
The largest domestic carrier, which had been forced to cancel hundreds of flights daily, is showing steady improvement.
IndiGo’s flight operations have significantly increased from 706 flights two days ago to an expected high of 1,650 flights by the end of the current day.
Airport Directors from major hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai, have confirmed normal conditions across terminals, with smooth passenger movement and no reported crowding at check-in or security.
The aviation regulator, DGCA, had earlier provided IndiGo with a temporary, one-time exemption from specific night operations-related clauses in the new FDTL norms until February 10, 2026, to allow the airline time to stabilise its roster and operations.
This temporary easing was granted to the airline’s A320 fleet to prevent further systemic disruption given IndiGo’s dominant market share. The Ministry assures the public that a 24×7 Control Room is vigilantly monitoring compliance and that all corrective measures will remain in place until is achieved.