Government to cut IndiGo's winter schedule as Aviation Minister warns of strict action

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu has announced that IndiGo’s winter flight schedule will be reduced, with the airline’s slots to be reassigned to other carriers.

His statement came just hours after he warned that the government would take exemplary action over the recent disruptions at airports. “We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them,” Naidu said in an interview with Doordarshan on Wednesday night.

According to the minister, IndiGo has processed refunds amounting to Rs 745 crore for 7,30,655 cancelled PNRs between December 1 and December 8.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha earlier, Naidu described the large-scale cancellations over the past week as a fallout of IndiGo’s “internal crisis” following the enforcement of new passenger safety norms.

“We care for pilots, crew and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action,” he told the House, adding that a detailed inquiry has been initiated.

Naidu reiterated that the government wants greater competition in the aviation sector and believes India has the potential to support five major airlines. His remarks, however, prompted a walkout by the Opposition, dissatisfied with the response.

The minister’s comments come after days of chaos across airports, where hundreds of IndiGo flights were cancelled, disrupting weddings, vacations, and business plans.

The immediate trigger for the crisis was the implementation of new flight safety rules introduced nearly two years ago. Aimed at addressing pilot fatigue—a known contributor to aviation accidents—the norms increased mandatory rest periods and required airlines to hire additional pilots.

IndiGo, which operates 2,200 flights daily and has long relied on minimising downtime, fell short of crew as the new standards took effect. This shortage resulted in widespread cancellations and severe inconvenience to passengers. As the crisis deepened, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation temporarily eased the new rules.