The Ministry of Civil Aviation is finalising plans to permanently reallocate approximately 10 per cent of IndiGo’s scheduled flight operations to other domestic carriers, according to highly placed sources. The unprecedented move follows a week-long operational collapse at India’s largest airline that resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations on critical routes and left thousands of passengers stranded.
The quantum of capacity being taken away from IndiGo is substantial: sources describe the 10 per cent slice as roughly equivalent to the combined passenger-carrying strength of Akasa Air and SpiceJet put together.
This development escalates punitive measures already imposed on the airline. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had initially directed IndiGo to reduce its schedule by 5 per cent. However, after the disruptions persisted, the regulator, on December 9, doubled the mandatory cut to a minimum of 10 per cent.
A crucial high-level inter-airline meeting was convened at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, attended by top representatives of all major scheduled carriers. The agenda included a comprehensive review of each operator’s operational readiness, available fleet and crew resources, passenger-handling capabilities, ground infrastructure, and resolution of lingering technical issues.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, IndiGo’s relinquished 10 per cent capacity will be distributed among Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and other “reliable operators” in proportion to their existing fleet size and demonstrated operational capacity. The transfer will be executed in a phased, staggered manner to prevent any fresh wave of disruptions in the system.
While the ministry is pushing for the fastest possible implementation, officials are equally determined to ensure that flights reallocated to other carriers do not end up being cancelled due to inadequate resources. “Hence, reallocation could be done as per resources available with these operators,” sources emphasised.
Crucially, IndiGo will retain its presence on every sector and route it currently serves. The reduction will primarily affect flight frequencies on high-density, high-demand corridors where the airline currently operates multiple daily services.
The DGCA’s December 9 directive was unambiguous: “It is directed to reduce the schedule by 10% across sectors, especially on high-demand, high-frequency flights, and to avoid single-flight operations on a sector by IndiGo.”
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A Strong Signal to the Sector
Sources within the government framed the redistribution exercise as a clear message to the entire aviation industry: passenger convenience cannot be taken for granted, and any airline triggering an IndiGo-scale meltdown will face direct consequences to its market share.
Throughout most of 2025, IndiGo has commanded a dominant domestic market share of 63–65 per cent, as per official DGCA statistics. The Air India group (including Air India, Vistara, and Air India Express) trails at 26–27 per cent, while fast-growing newcomer Akasa Air has crossed the 5 per cent mark. SpiceJet, grappling with prolonged financial troubles, hovers around a mere 2 per cent share.
Senior officials now project that, once the redistribution is fully implemented, IndiGo’s operational market share is likely to stabilise between 55 per cent and 57 per cent. The government also views the exercise as a structural remedy that will provide travellers with greater choice and curb the recurring “spree of cancellations” that has plagued the sector.
Also Read: No airline allowed to inconvenience people: Aviation Minister
IndiGo Claims Recovery
Meanwhile, IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers insisted that the airline has regained stability and is operating normally again. In a video message to employees and passengers, he described the restoration efforts as proceeding on a “war footing.”
“On December 5, we could only fly 700 flights. Thereafter, gradually yet steadily improving to 1,500 on December 6, 1,650 on December 7, 1,800 on Monday and Tuesday, more than 1,800,” Elbers said.
He further assured that lakhs of affected passengers whose flights were cancelled or significantly delayed have already received full refunds, with the process continuing daily.
Also Read: Delhi HC to hear IndiGo crisis petition as airline crawls back
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