Over the past weeks, India’s largest airline, IndiGo, saw an unexpected wave of operational disruptions that affected thousands of travellers across the country.

After days of flight cancellations and delays that left tens of thousands stranded at airports across India, the situation has started to stabilise. 

Flights are now returning to schedule with fewer last-minute cancellations, but it still begs a question: what sparked the mass chaos?

The first signs of strain appeared after 2 December, when cancellations began rising across major airports including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. By 5 December, cancellations climbed sharply, with airport teams working through rapid roster adjustments while handling large crowds of anxious travellers. 

On 5 December, as many as 1,600 flights were cancelled nationwide, with ground teams working through rapid roster changes and increasing passenger load. 

Early-December fog conditions in North India also contributed to initial delays, tightening the ripple effect across busy hubs like Delhi.

There is no single confirmed cause at this stage. Early assessments from aviation experts suggest that multiple factors may have converged, including the rollout of new pilot rest rules, crew availability constraints, internal scheduling challenges, and seasonal weather conditions.

Because........

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