Muscat: IndiGo’s operations were thrown into disarray on Friday, marking day three of widespread cancellations linked to a severe pilot staffing crunch and planning lapses during Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rollout. The airline confirmed that over 500 flights had been delayed or cancelled across the country, while an additional 400 were scrubbed at key hubs including Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. These four cities alone accounted for nearly 330 cancellations, leaving thousands of travellers stranded or scrambling for alternatives.

IndiGo flights departing from UAE airports have been running 4–5 hours behind schedule since Thursday night. The IndiGo 6E1518 service from Ras Al Khaimah to Cochin, scheduled for 5:20 am, was cancelled, RAK Airport confirmed. Travel agents echoed the warnings, cautioning passengers to brace for significant delays throughout the day, with the situation expected to remain unstable for another 48 hours.

In Delhi, the disruption was severe enough for IndiGo to cancel all flights scheduled to depart until midnight, while in Chennai, departures were halted until 6 pm. The airline said it expects “full stability” only by February 10, 2026, and has requested temporary relief from duty norms to manage the shortage.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted IndiGo a one-time exemption from night duty limits for pilots, following the mass cancellations earlier this week. The regulator also withdrew a rule that previously prohibited airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest.