IndiGo flight disruptions: Over 800 pieces of luggage still pending at 45 destinations

New Delhi [India], December 9 : IndiGo is experiencing significant flight disruptions, resulting in hundreds of cancellations and over 800 pieces of stranded baggage across 45 destinations. The issues stem from new pilot duty rules (FDTL), crew management challenges, and operational planning shortcomings.
IndiGo is set to deliver 8,500 stranded luggage to its passengers by 7 PM on Tuesday.
"By 7 PM, (IndiGo) will deliver 8,500 pieces of luggage to travellers. Luggage delivery has been completed at 49 out of 94 destinations," according to the airline.
The airline has also said that hundreds of bags are still set to be delivered to the people, adding, "Around 800 pieces of luggage are still pending at 45 destinations."
Earlier today, in a fresh statement, the airline's CEO, Pieter Elbers, apologised to the thousands of affected passengers for "letting them down" due to the airline's "major operational disruptions".
"Following our earlier communication, I am here to share that our airline, IndiGo, is back on its feet, and our operations are stable. We let you down during a major operational disruption, and we're sorry for that. The beauty of air travel is that it brings together people, emotions, ambitions and aspirations, and we know that you are travelling for various reasons," CEO Pieter Elbers said in a statement.
Reiterating the airline's commitment to bring relief to the thousands of stranded customers, the CEO said, "Thousands of you could not travel, and we are profusely apologetic for that. While we cannot undo the cancellations, I want to reassure you that our entire IndiGo team has been working very hard. First and foremost, for you, our valued customers. Initially, our first priority was to get all stranded and delayed customers safely to their destinations or back home."
The statement comes a day after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed the airline to reduce its flight operations by 5% across sectors, citing the airline's failure to operate its winter schedule efficiently and a backlog of cancellations. The airline has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 PM on December 10, 2025.
In an official notice to IndiGo, the DGCA said the airline had been approved for 15,014 departures per week, totalling 64,346 flights for November 2025 under the Winter Schedule. However, operational data show that IndiGo operated only 59,438 flights, with 951 cancellations recorded during the month.