IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Friday, December 5, 2025, after facing a severe shortage of crew, combined with planning failures in adapting to new flight‑duty and rest‑period rules imposed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). All domestic departures from Delhi Airport were grounded till midnight, and similar widespread disruptions hit major airports including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and more.
The cancellations and limited availability triggered a dramatic surge in ticket prices — in many cases, fares tripled or even quadrupled. For example, last‑minute economy fares on some routes shot up massively compared to standard prices.
In response to the turmoil, authorities stepped in: some competing carriers imposed fare caps, and the government directed all airlines to comply with regulated ticket‑price limits to prevent exploitative pricing. Meanwhile, Delhi Airport issued a passenger advisory on December 6 acknowledging that flight operations were “steadily resuming” and urging travellers to check booking and flight status before heading to the airport.
IndiGo’s chief executive publicly apologised for the chaos and said that full stability may take several days, with gradual restoration expected between December 10 and 15, and complete normalcy targeted by February 2026.