IndiGo, India's largest budget carrier, experienced a severe and prolonged operational disruption throughout early December 2025, throwing air travel into chaos and stranding thousands of passengers nationwide. The crisis, stretching for eight consecutive days, was primarily triggered by the government's implementation of the second and final phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations. This regulatory change, aimed at reducing pilot fatigue and enhancing safety, inadvertently led to an acute shortage of crew within the airline, which, due to its sheer scale of over 2,300 daily departures, bore the brunt of the new rules more significantly than rivals like the Air India Group.

The widespread disruptions resulted in a staggering 905 flight cancellations between December 1 and 8, 2025. During this period, IndiGo operated approximately 2,266 out of its 3,171 scheduled flights, according to an official statement from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Collectively, these cancellations and associated delays affected more than three lakh passengers across India, severely straining airport operations and individual travel plans.

Mumbai emerged as one of the most severely affected hubs. Domestically, flights to and from major cities including Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Cochin, Goa, and Lucknow faced significant cancellations and delays. International operations from Mumbai were also impacted, notably flights to Amsterdam and Istanbul, indicating the crisis's reach beyond domestic routes. The disruptions peaked around December 4 and 5, 2025, leading to immense pressure on both airport infrastructure and customer service teams.

Beyond flight schedules, the crisis also created substantial issues with passenger luggage. Following a directive from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo worked to return stranded baggage, but over 800 pieces of luggage remained stuck across 45 destinations. The airline aimed to deliver 8,500 pieces of stranded luggage to passengers' chosen addresses by 7 PM on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, reporting completion at 49 out of its 94 destinations with ongoing efforts at others.

The severity of the situation prompted swift action from various regulatory and corporate oversight bodies. The DGCA initiated a probe and issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's CEO, Pieter Elbers, and COO, Isidore Porqueras, giving them 24 hours to respond. IndiGo, however, requested a 15-day extension, citing the extensive and complex nature of its operations and an admitted shortage of crew, having 2,357 pilots against a requirement of 2,422.

Furthermore, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), an apex body for company secretaries, took the rare step of publicly addressing IndiGo's