NEW DELHI, Dec 9: The Union government on Monday warned that “very strict” action will be taken against IndiGo after a week of massive flight cancellations caused by the airline’s delayed compliance with the new pilot rest regulations. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told the Rajya Sabha that the government intends to “set an example” for all airlines violating operational rules, as tens of thousands of passengers continued to face travel chaos.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has begun stabilising operations, operating nearly 1,800 flights on Monday—up from 1,650 a day earlier—after disruptions grounded more than two-thirds of its 2,300 daily flights at the peak on December 5.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which had earlier issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, has constituted a four-member probe panel to investigate the manpower and rostering failures that led to the crisis. Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras submitted what sources described as a “comprehensive” response to the notices on Monday evening.

A DGCA statement confirmed receipt of IndiGo’s reply, adding that the airline had expressed “profuse” apologies for the inconvenience caused. The regulator will now evaluate the response and initiate appropriate enforcement action.

The probe will examine IndiGo’s preparedness for Phase 2 of the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, which came into effect on November 1, 2025. The updated rules classify all duty between midnight and 6 a.m. as night duty and impose stricter limits on the number of landings within 24 hours—measures aimed at reducing pilot fatigue. The tightened norms, among the strictest globally, required significant crew expansion, but IndiGo’s insufficient hiring reportedly triggered widespread pilot shortages.

With the disruptions escalating, the government approved a temporary exemption from the new FDTL rules until February 10, 2026.

Meanwhile, passenger frustration continues to mount as flight delays, cancellations, and misplaced baggage have derailed holidays, weddings, and business travel across the country.

“We are not taking this situation lightly,” Minister Naidu said. “We are conducting an inquiry and will take very, very strict action.”