IndiGo’s Aviation Meltdown: Chaos Eases Slightly But Refunds Deadline Looms as Thousands Remain Stranded
India’s aviation sector is slowly recovering on December 7, 2025, from the worst crisis in its history after IndiGo, holding 65% domestic market share, cancelled over 3,000 flights in the past five days due to a sudden crew shortage triggered by strict enforcement of new pilot rest rules (FDTL) that the airline had 18 months to prepare for. The meltdown — caused by poor hiring, peak-season overload, winter fog, monopoly dominance, and internal system failures — stranded tens of thousands, ruined weddings and medical trips, triggered protests, and forced the government to cap fares, run 89 special trains, and launch a high-level probe. YTC’s clear takeaway: never stake an entire nation’s critical connectivity on one company; had the market been shared by five balanced players, the load would have been absorbed and the chaos averted. Diversify or be doomed to repeat this nightmare.










