IndiGo Cancels 67 Flights Amid Fog and Curtailed Schedule, Facing DGCA Scrutiny

December 25, 2025 at 11:21 AM•3 min read

IndiGo canceled 67 flights, mostly due to forecasted bad weather, while operating under a DGCA-mandated curtailed schedule following earlier operational

Key Points

1IndiGo cancelled 67 flights on Thursday; 63 were due to forecasted bad weather, affecting key airports including Bengaluru and Chandigarh.
2The cancellations occur during the DGCA's official fog window (Dec 10 - Feb 10), which mandates CAT-IIIB compliant operations for low visibility.
3The airline is operating a curtailed schedule, limited to 1,930 domestic flights daily, following a 10% cut by the government after earlier crew-related disruptions.
4A DGCA panel is probing the operational crisis and is expected to submit its report by December 26, 2025, after questioning IndiGo's top executives.

Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled 67 flights on Thursday. The airline cited "forecasted" bad weather as the main reason for 63 of these cancellations. The remaining four flights were cancelled due to operational reasons.

Airports affected included Agartala, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Varanasi, and Bengaluru. These disruptions highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the airline.

Regulatory Context and Winter Fog Operations

The cancellations occur during the official winter fog window. The aviation regulator, the DGCA, set this period from December 10 to February 10.

CAT-IIIB Norms

DGCA fog operations (CAT-IIIB) norms are mandatory. Airlines must roster pilots trained for low-visibility conditions. They also must deploy a CAT-IIIB-compliant aircraft fleet.

Category-III is an advanced navigation system. It allows aircraft to land safely in dense fog. Category-III-B permits landings when the runway visual range (RVR) is under 50 meters.

Curtailed Flight Schedule and DGCA Probe

IndiGo is currently operating a curtailed flight schedule. This is in compliance with a government order.

The airline’s original winter schedule allowed 2,144 domestic flights daily.
Following massive disruptions, this schedule was cut by 10%.
The airline is now limited to operating 1,930 domestic flights per day.

These earlier disruptions saw the airline cancel thousands of flights. This was due to poor planning and crew shortages. The issues stemmed from implementing new pilot rest norms that began on November 1.

Ongoing Investigation

The DGCA formed a four-member panel to investigate the root causes. The panel has questioned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras.

This DGCA investigation panel's report deadline was extended. The committee is now expected to submit its findings by December 26, 2025. This extension allows for analysis of extensive operational data.

Passenger Impact and Airline Response

The winter fog disruptions continue to cause significant passenger hardship. IndiGo issued a travel advisory on X. It noted that low visibility and fog over Bangalore impacted the flight schedule.

One passenger reported a flight delay of over five hours. The return flight was also delayed by more than three hours. This traveler was with senior citizen parents. Such delays lead to demands for proper explanation and compensation.

This incident highlights the critical need for operational resilience in Indian aviation. Airlines must manage both regulatory changes and seasonal weather. For more commercial aviation news and updates on flight operations, visit this link for flight operation news. The ongoing DGCA monitoring ensures continued regulatory scrutiny.