DGCA orders IndiGo to cut winter flights by 5% over operational shortfalls
New Delhi, Dec 9: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered IndiGo to cut its flight schedule by 5%…
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New Delhi, Dec 9: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered IndiGo to cut its flight schedule by 5% across all sectors, citing the airline’s inability to run its approved winter operations smoothly and a mounting backlog of cancellations.
The regulator has also directed the carrier to submit a fresh, revised schedule by 5 PM on December 10, 2025.
According to the DGCA’s notice, IndiGo had been cleared to operate 15,014 weekly departures—a total of 64,346 flights—for November 2025 under the Winter Schedule. However, actual operational data revealed that the airline flew only 59,438 flights, while 951 services were cancelled during the month.
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The regulator pointed out that IndiGo’s Winter 2025 schedule had already been allowed a 6% increase over its Summer 2025 plan and a 9.66% rise compared to Winter 2024.
The approvals were granted on the basis that the airline would operate with 403 aircraft, but IndiGo could deploy only 339 aircraft in October and 344 in November 2025, falling short of the required fleet strength.
Despite this expansion in scheduled departures, the DGCA said the carrier had “not demonstrated an ability to operate these schedules efficiently,” prompting the mandatory reduction.
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The order specifically instructs the airline to curtail operations on high-frequency and high-demand routes and avoid single-flight sectors.
The notice, cleared by the Competent Authority, formally communicates these directives and requires immediate compliance.
