IndiGo has submitted a revised winter schedule to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after the regulator directed the airline to trim its operations by 5 per cent across sectors, citing concerns over its ability to operate the previously approved capacity without major disruptions. The revised schedule was due today, 10 December.

According to officials, the decision followed a review of IndiGo’s November performance against its sanctioned winter schedule. The airline had approval to operate 64,346 flights last month. However, operational records show it managed to fly only 59,438, while 951 flights were cancelled, prompting the regulator to question the carrier’s preparedness for peak-season operations. DGCA said the airline “has not demonstrated the ability” to run the expanded winter schedule efficiently and required a trimmed roster to ensure manageable, disruption-free operations.

What the updated schedule means?

With the revised schedule now submitted, IndiGo is expected to redistribute flights across key routes and rationalise frequencies where persistent delays and cancellations were recorded through November. Officials said the objective is to stabilise on-time performance and prevent cascading delays across the domestic network.

The DGCA is expected to review the revised plan and issue further instructions if needed.

DGCA has directed IndiGo to cut its schedule by a minimum of 10 per cent across sectors, with priority on reducing frequencies on high-demand and high-frequency routes where disruptions have been most visible.

• 1,501 flights per week will be removed from the airline’s winter schedule
• On a daily basis, roughly 215 flights will be dropped
• IndiGo’s daily operations will fall from 2,145 flights to about 1,930

The regulator has also advised the airline to avoid single-flight operations on vulnerable routes, where a cancellation leaves no alternative service for passengers.

IndiGo has been asked to submit a revised winter schedule by 5 pm on 10 December.

The Civil Aviation Ministry noted that cancellations in recent weeks had led to “substantial disruption” in air traffic across the country. Officials said the airline did not adequately plan for aircraft availability, pilot deployment, or weather-related contingencies – all key factors during the high-traffic winter season.

The Ministry has ordered DGCA to keep the situation under continuous review, with further corrective action possible if the airline fails to stabilise operations.

IndiGo passengers travelling in the coming weeks may see minor changes, including revised timings or re-accommodation on alternate flights, depending on sector-wise adjustments made in the updated schedule.

Both the regulator and the airline have urged passengers to check flight status regularly and keep buffer time for onward connections as winter operations peak.