• IndiGo has cancelled over 2,000 flights, stranding thousands of passengers.
• The Indian government has imposed fare caps and ordered refunds amid the crisis.
• The airline cites pilot shortages and operational mismanagement as the root causes.
• Government interventions include exemptions from new pilot regulations and increased monitoring.
• IndiGo aims to normalize operations by December 10-15, 2025.

The operational chaos surrounding IndiGo, India's largest airline, continued to escalate over the past week, with the company cancelling more than 2,000 flights, leaving thousands of travelers stranded at various airports. The disruptions began on December 2 due to a failure to adapt to new pilot rest and duty time regulations, leading to significant pilot shortages. On December 6, cancellations included over 800 flights in a single day, representing one of the worst crises in the airline's history, according to SCMP and India Times.

The government has actively intervened by imposing fare caps on domestic routes to prevent soaring ticket prices during this crisis, where reports suggested fares surged to as high as Rs 90,000. Government directives require that fares for specific routes remain capped, while IndiGo is also facing mandated refunds for all cancelled flights to mitigate passenger distress. The fare caps are reported to stay in place until operations stabilize fully, hence reflecting the government's effort to safeguard consumer rights and ensure price fairness during peak travel seasons, according to India Times and Al Jazeera.

IndiGo has stated that it has restored 95% of its network connectivity as it gradually works towards normalizing operations, with CEO Pieter Elbers indicating that the airline aims to achieve full normalcy by December 10-15. However, the operational disruption revealed significant lapses in management and planning regarding crew deployment under the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations. This has raised concerns from aviation experts and pilot unions, emphasizing that the operational troubles stemmed from IndiGo's failure to prepare adequately for the new rules, according to Al Jazeera and SCMP.

As recovery plans were discussed, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to Elbers for operational lapses leading to this widespread chaos. The regulatory body emphasized that these failures compromised passenger safety and adherence to civil aviation standards. In tandem, the Indian Railways has begun facilitating additional train services to accommodate overflowing passenger demand caused by IndiGo's flight cancellations, showcasing coordinated government action to address the transport crisis, as reported by India Times and SCMP.

Critics have argued that IndiGo's struggle with the new regulations reflects short-sighted operations and a lack of timely hiring, which they believe is the primary reason behind the crisis. Executives from rival airlines, conversely, affirm that effective execution of operational changes has allowed them to navigate the new regulatory landscape without significant issues. Overall, the situation underscores the challenges faced by India's rapidly growing airline industry and the necessity for strategic foresight in managing operational changes, as articulated by Al Jazeera and India Times.