India’s aviation regulator has issued a stern warning to IndiGo after the airline cancelled thousands of flights over the past week, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

The government also intervened to cap soaring airfares amid the crisis caused by a pilot shortage.

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has cancelled thousands of flights this week due to a shortage of pilots and inadequate planning for new rules limiting pilot working hours. On Saturday alone, 385 flights were cancelled, marking the fifth consecutive day of disruptions.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent a confidential notice to CEO Pieter Elbers, giving him 24 hours to explain why regulatory action should not be taken. The notice warned of possible penalties and suspension of officials for failing to ensure “timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations.”

Govt steps in to cap airfares

The Indian government capped airfares to curb price surges caused by the disruption. One-way fares up to 500 kilometers were capped at 7,500 rupees ($83), while journeys between 1,000 and 1,500 km — such as Delhi-Mumbai — were capped at 15,000 rupees ($167). This is significantly lower than Air India’s advertised Delhi-Mumbai fare of 20,419 rupees ($227).

Authorities also arranged additional trains to help stranded passengers and announced exemptions for IndiGo from certain pilot rest and night flying rules until February 10.

Passengers stranded, airports overcrowded

Hundreds of passengers were left waiting at Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad airports. Satish Konde, travelling from Mumbai to Nagpur, expressed frustration after being informed that his flight had been cancelled despite checking in.

Delhi airport reported that flight operations are gradually resuming, though cancellations continued at several locations.

The exemptions to the new pilot duty rules have drawn criticism from pilot unions. The Federation of Indian Pilots and the Airline Pilots Association of India warned that safety should not be compromised to accommodate IndiGo’s operational shortfall.

The new rules capped night landings to two per pilot and limited night flying to 10 hours. IndiGo’s exemption allows the airline to bypass these measures temporarily, angering labour groups who emphasised that the norms are designed to protect human life.

Other Indian carriers, including Air India and Akasa, have not faced similar disruptions and continue normal operations.

IndiGo said operations could return to normal between December 10 and 15. Airport sources reported specific cancellations on Saturday, including 124 flights in Bengaluru, 109 in Mumbai, 86 in New Delhi, and 66 in Hyderabad.

The crisis highlights the airline’s vulnerability during peak holiday travel and the challenges posed by the sudden enforcement of stricter pilot rest and duty rules.