New safety rules? This airline just can't cope

Planning to fly with India's largest airline over the next couple of months?

Good luck with that.

IndiGo has apologised to passengers following several days of major fight disruptions and cancellations and said it may be month before its full schedule is back to normal.

IndiGo "deeply regrets the inconvenience caused", the airline said.

It cited the new pilot duty rules as a major factor, along with bad weather, and some technical issues, news hub Travel Mole reported.

The airline’s troubles stem largely from newly phased-in rules for flight crew which mandate extended rest periods and layovers.

Following emergency talks with the Indian Aviation Ministry, IndiGo said it will proactively cut its number of scheduled flights starting from December 8 in a bid to reduce cancellations.

So cancellations to reduce cancellations.

The airline has said it expects to resume its full flight schedule in February 2026.

IndiGo normally operates about 2,300 flights on average a day. It had reportedly cancelled over 900 flights in just four days leading into the weekend.

IndiGo, despite nearly two years’ notice, is struggling to make a successful transition to meet the new safety rules, Flight Radar reports.

Air India trims flight schedule

Air India has trimmed its flight plans by 15% over the next few weeks.

The airline reduced its international flight numbers until July 15 amid plans to complete pre-flight safety checks following the fatal Ahmedabad plane crash earlier this month.

Some cancelled flights are also a consequence of airspace closures due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

In official statements, the airline said it is in the process of completing a series of one-time safety checks directed by the Indian aviation regulator, DGCA.

These checks are carried out on airline's Boeing 787 fleet as they return to India.

Air India has completed checks on nine of the Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and is on track to complete this process for the remaining 24 aircraft within the timeline provided by the regulator.

Some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround times and potential delays on certain long-haul routes - especially those to airports with operating curfews.

The website Aeroutes.com reveals cancellations and reductions in services to destinations including London Gatwick and London Heathrow, Chicago, Toronto Copenhagen and Paris, as well as to Melbourne and Sydney.

Customers are advised to check the status of their flights at http://airindia.com/in/en/manage/flight-status.html.