Will IndiGo’s sins be washed away with a ‘sorry’? Decoding IndiGo’s ‘blackmailing plan’ as DGCA eases ‘weekly rest’ rules

In India’s biggest aviation crisis, hundreds of thousands of passengers have been stranded at airports due to emotional breakdowns, long queues and rising flight fees. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, which controls two-thirds of the domestic market, carried out its ‘blackmail plan’ by delaying and canceling more than 2000 flights in the last five days. In response, the airline covered it up with a one-page apology in a newspaper ad.

today’s Directed by DNA TV SHOW, Editor-in-Chief and Anchor Rahul Sinha A DNA Test into IndiGo’s ‘blackmail scheme’ that pushed the government to withdraw new flight rules introduced for the safety of passengers. The airline apologized as if saying ‘I’m sorry’ would end the suffering of thousands of passengers and make up for the exploitation they faced.

The question arises: ‘Will any action be taken against Indigo for the conditions faced by nearly 400,000 passengers in the last five days? ‘Will action be taken to ensure that IndiGo or any other airline does not cause such inconvenience to passengers at airports in the future?’

What led to the chaos of IndiGo flight cancellations?

IndiGo airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights in the last four days and thousands of passengers were stranded at airports across the country due to operational glitches. What caused the chaos of IndiGo flight cancellations? India’s aviation controller, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has introduced new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules stating that “no leave can be substituted for weekly rest”. These rules were introduced to impose stricter limits on pilot duty hours, night operations and required rest. However, the new regulations increased the demands on pilots and disrupted IndiGo’s usual operational network as flights were not adequately staffed.

DGCA intervened in a big move and relaxed the new flight rules to bring the situation under control. The government has also capped flight fares, which go up to Rs 50,000 or more for the Delhi-Mumbai route. However, full flight operation restorations were still ongoing. Due to IndiGo’s mismanagement, ordinary employees at airports are feeling frustrated with passengers.

What is IndiGo’s blackmail plan?

When IndiGo’s ‘blackmail plan’ was unraveled, it was revealed that the FTDL (Flight Duty Duration Limitation) rules, which were cited as the main reason for the chaos, were planned to be implemented on June 1, 2024, but were postponed at the request of the airlines.
Following this, the first phase of FDTL rules went into effect on July 1, 2025. The second phase of the rules went into effect on November 1, 2025.

This means that these rules were not implemented suddenly and airlines, including IndiGo, were given enough time to employ more pilots and cabin crew. IndiGo had one and a half to two years to prepare but paid no attention to adapting to the new rules. Instead, it went against the rules and became the first airline to do so.

Indigo’s defiance of the rule underlined that it was neglecting safety regulations just to make a profit. While the airline was blamed for not hiring pilots, it also increased its winter flights by 6 percent.

The Airline Pilots Association of India, a pilot organisation, has alleged in a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that IndiGo deliberately created an artificial crisis to put pressure on the government, which pushed the DGCA to repeal or relax FDTL rules. It finally happened!

Although IndiGo has stated that it will take 10 days for the situation to improve, it continues to sell tickets and accept bookings for the next 10 days. However, he is trying to clarify their name and protect his image with an apology.

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