Story by Bahari Duniya | Written by Ranjan Sharma
NEW DELHI: IndiGo has called off 13 flights set for Sunday, attributing the cancellations to predicted adverse weather conditions across multiple airports. Two additional services have been affected due to operational issues. The disruptions are expected on routes connecting key cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Pune, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, and Gaya. Passengers are advised to check their flight status and plan accordingly.
On Saturday, airlines called off 57 flights across multiple airports nationwide, citing adverse weather conditions as the reason for the disruptions.
IndiGo, which had grounded thousands of flights earlier this month following tighter regulations on pilots’ duty hours and rest requirements, has continued to cancel several services for more than a week, citing “adverse weather” as the reason
Meanwhile, Air India has issued a travel advisory warning of dense fog and low visibility across parts of northern India. The airline stated that these conditions may disrupt flight schedules on Sunday morning in cities such as Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Varanasi.
“In the event of unexpected delays, diversions, or cancellations, please be assured that our ground staff are available to assist you.”
If you are traveling with us tomorrow, we advise checking your flight status before leaving for the airport and planning for extra travel time,” the airline said in a post on X, reassuring that staff will be available to assist passengers in case of delays or cancellations.
The aviation regulator DGCA has designated December 10 to February 10 as the official fog window for this winter, requiring airlines to follow special low-visibility operating norms, according to PTI.
Under the DGCA’s CAT-IIIB guidelines, airlines must assign pilots trained for low-visibility operations and operate aircraft equipped to handle such conditions, ensuring passenger safety and smooth flight operations during the official fog window this winter.
Category III systems enable aircraft to land safely in dense fog, with CAT-III A allowing landings at a runway visual range of 200 metres, while CAT-III B permits operations at under 50 metres, ensuring continuous flight schedules even during low-visibility conditions.
Under its original winter schedule, IndiGo was cleared to operate 15,014 domestic flights per week, averaging around 2,144 flights a day, marking an increase of about six per cent compared to its summer 2025 schedule, reflecting the airline’s expanded winter operations.
However, after widespread disruptions earlier this month, including the cancellation of around 1,600 flights in a single day due to stricter pilot rest norms, the government reduced IndiGo’s domestic capacity by 10 per cent, equivalent to 214 flights daily, aiming to ensure safer and more reliable operations.
As a result, IndiGo is currently restricted to operating no more than 1,930 domestic flights per day during the winter season, reflecting the government’s capacity cut aimed at ensuring safer flight operations amid regulatory and weather challenges.
A four-member DGCA panel is investigating IndiGo’s recent operational issues and has already questioned the airline’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, and COO, Isidre Porqueras. The panel’s report is expected to be released later this week, shedding light on the airline’s disruptions and regulatory compliance.
The DGCA on Friday evening submitted its report on the circumstances behind IndiGo’s operational disruptions to the civil aviation ministry, officials said. The report is expected to investigate why the airline’s domestic network was severely affected while its international operations remained largely uninterrupted.
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A ministry spokesperson said the inquiry committee, led by DGCA Joint Director General Sanjay K. Bramhane, had submitted a confidential report. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu informed Parliament that the government will take “exemplary” action against IndiGo once the probe is concluded.