India's biggest airline, IndiGo, has landed in trouble, cancelling more than 300 flights since Tuesday due to snowballing problems.
As reported by the BBC, the busiest airports in Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, were worst hit.
The airline blamed technical glitches, weather and new crew rostering rules for the disruption, leaving thousands of passengers stranded nationwide.
IndiGo said it had made "calibrated adjustments" to its schedule until Friday to stabilise operations.
On Thursday morning, ANI news agency reported 33 IndiGo flight cancellations at Delhi, 85 at Mumbai and 73 at Bengaluru.
Videos of frustrated passengers circulated on social media, and many passengers took to X to complain, which received the airline's standard response, noting, "Our operations are dependent on several factors, some of which are beyond our control and may impact the schedule."
India's aviation regulator is reportedly investigating the disruptions and has asked the airline to explain the reasons behind the cancellations and delays.
Since November 1, IndiGo has faced pilot and crew shortages under new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules, which limit flight hours and mandate more rest.
However, the Federation of Indian Pilots said the cancellations "cannot be attributed" to the new rules, noting other airlines remain largely unaffected.
This crisis hits the reputation of the two-decade-old carrier, which built its brand on punctuality. However, recent months have seen a performance slip.
