India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has announced that its operations have stabilized after experiencing significant disruptions last week. The airline’s cancellations, which led to chaos at Indian airports, have been effectively managed, and on-time performance has returned to normal levels.
According to an official statement, IndiGo was operating more than 1,800 flights on Tuesday, with plans to increase to nearly 1,900 flights on Wednesday. Nonetheless, India’s civil aviation regulator advised the airline to cut its planned flights by 10 percent, citing concerns about operational efficiency. A previous order mandated a five-percent reduction.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that restricting IndiGo’s routes would help stabilize operations and minimize cancellations. Last week's disruptions resulted from misjudgments regarding a new pilot rest policy aimed at enhancing safety, which was temporarily suspended after the operational meltdown.
The introduction of the new pilot rest policy last month had complicated flight schedules, revealing planning gaps by the airline. The policy was meant to extend pilot rest periods, but the airline admitted to errors in its implementation, leading to severe flight disruptions.
Minister Naidu emphasized that although the guidelines have been placed in abeyance and an investigation launched, safety remains the utmost priority. The crisis posed one of the biggest challenges for IndiGo, a renowned no-frills carrier known for punctuality, and highlights the importance of operational reliability in India’s rapidly expanding aviation market.
