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Can IndiGo sustain 2,000 daily flights?
19 Jan 2026

IndiGo, India's largest airline, is under pressure to confirm its capability of sustaining over 2,000 daily flights.

The deadline for the confirmation is February 10, according to The Times of India.

This comes as an exemption period for new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules for A320 pilots ends on the date.

The revised safety norms require significantly more pilots than before, putting a strain on flight schedules.

DGCA may intervene if IndiGo can't meet pilot requirements
Regulatory response

If IndiGo fails to meet the new pilot requirements, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) may step in and enforce capacity cuts.

This is to avoid a repeat of the major disruptions seen in December.

The disruptions had led to a ₹22.2 crore fine on IndiGo, which was later criticized by pilots' unions as insufficient.

IndiGo's preparations and future plans
Operational adjustments

The DGCA has been meeting IndiGo regularly to check its readiness for the post-February 10 scenario.

The airline has shared its pilot hiring plans and is testing its scheduling software to match available crew strength with planned flights.

From February 1, IndiGo will start planning crew rosters as per the new FDTL norms, without considering the temporary exemption ending later this month.

Winter schedule and future network plans
Schedule adjustments

IndiGo has already cut flights for the rest of the winter schedule, which ends on the last Saturday of March.

The airline intends to operate its full network within these reduced levels under the revised rules. It is also unlikely to seek any further exemptions.

The aviation ministry and DGCA are closely monitoring the situation, determined not to let last December's disruptions happen again.

Federation of Indian Pilots criticizes DGCA's action against IndiGo
Union response

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has criticized the DGCA's action against IndiGo.

FIP president Captain CS Randhawa called the ₹22.2 crore fine "peanuts."

He said that the regulator's investigation only acknowledged disruptions on December 3, 4, and 5, while the chaos continued till mid-December and was much wider.

Randhawa questioned why a warning letter was issued after such widespread disruption and why FDTL exemption wasn't revoked despite flight cuts.

IndiGo committed to complying with regulatory directions
Airline's stance

In response to the developments, IndiGo said it is committed to fully complying with regulatory directions.

The airline said it is conducting a detailed review of its internal processes to strengthen resilience and ensure it emerges stronger from this episode.

This comes as part of IndiGo's promise to maintain its operational record of over 19 years.