Stringent action; Centre orders IndiGo to cut 10 percent flights after massive cancellations

New Delhi: In a strong move following the recent disruptions in IndiGo’s flight operations, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the country’s largest airline to reduce its total flights by 10 percent.

The decision comes after IndiGo cancelled more than 2,000 flights in the past 7 to 8 days due to poor crew scheduling and severe manpower mismanagement. The ministry’s order was issued shortly after aviation regulator DGCA instructed IndiGo to scale down its operations by 5 percent.

However, the ministry argued that a higher reduction was necessary to stabilise operations and prevent further inconvenience to passengers. With this directive, IndiGo will no longer be able to operate its previously approved full schedule across domestic and international routes.

According to officials, the ministry concluded that cutting flights temporarily will help the airline restore stability, reduce last minute cancellations and ensure minimum disruption for travellers. IndiGo has also been instructed to comply with all fare-related regulations, including government-imposed price caps, without offering any exemptions or relaxation to passengers affected by cancellations.

The DGCA had approved 15,014 weekly flights for IndiGo for the winter season, given the surge in travel demand. However, the airline has struggled to maintain its schedule. Out of 64,346 flights approved for the month, IndiGo cancelled 951 flights in November alone, and the number rose sharply in early December due to rising internal operational challenges.

Meanwhile, IndiGo has claimed that its operations have now stabilised. The airline stated on Tuesday that it has resumed services to all 138 destinations across its network and returned to normal on-time performance. IndiGo asserted that it is meeting customer demand effectively and that flight operations are now running smoothly.

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