Why Did IndiGo Cancel 44 Flights? Fog and DGCA Scrutiny Hit North Indian Airports.

December 26, 2025 at 11:50 AM•2 min read

IndiGo cancelled 44 flights on Friday due to dense fog across North Indian airports, intensifying operational challenges under DGCA's mandated winter scrutiny and reduced schedule.

Key Points

1IndiGo cancelled 44 flights on Friday and 15 for Saturday due to dense fog and anticipated bad weather across North Indian airports.
2The cancellations occur during the DGCA-designated winter fog season, running from December 10 to February 10, which mandates CAT-IIIB low-visibility operations.
3The airline is operating a curtailed schedule, capped at 1,930 daily domestic flights, following a 10% reduction mandated by the DGCA after earlier operational disruptions.
4The disruptions highlight the ongoing challenge of managing low visibility operations in India's northern and eastern regions during winter.

The Indian aviation sector is facing renewed turbulence as IndiGo flight cancellations continue.

The airline cancelled 44 flights on Friday and 15 more for Saturday, December 27, 2025. The primary cause cited was forecasted bad weather conditions and dense fog. Only a small number of cancellations were due to operational issues. Airports in Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) were most affected. This disruption follows a similar pattern earlier in the week, where 67 flights were cancelled on Thursday.

Navigating the DGCA Winter Fog Season

The cancellations fall within the DGCA winter fog season. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) designates this period from December 10 to February 10. During this time, low visibility operations become a routine challenge.

Airlines must use aircraft with advanced CAT-IIIB landing systems.
Pilots must be specially trained for these low-visibility conditions.
CAT-IIIB systems allow landings with a Runway Visual Range (RVR) below 50 meters.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued advisories for dense fog. This impacts air traffic, road, and rail movement across North Indian airports fog zones. Industry bodies like the International Air Transport Association (IATA) stress the need for operational resilience. This is crucial during peak travel seasons.

Operational Scrutiny and Curtailed Schedule

These weather-related issues compound existing challenges for the carrier. IndiGo's operations remain under close DGCA monitoring. The airline faced significant IndiGo operational disruptions earlier in December. These earlier problems stemmed from crew shortages and poor planning. This was related to implementing new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) regulations.

In response, the government mandated a 10% reduction in IndiGo’s domestic schedule. The airline is now capped at operating about 1,930 domestic flights daily. This is down from its original winter schedule of approximately 2,144 daily flights. The reduced capacity means weather delays have a greater cascading impact. Passengers are advised to check their IndiGo flight status before traveling. For more updates on the industry, visit our commercial aviation news section [https://flying.flights].