IndiGo’s prolonged operational disruption entered its sixth day on Sunday with the cancellation of around 650 flights, even as the airline advanced its recovery timeline and said it now expects network stabilisation by December 10. The crisis persisted despite claims of having operated 1,650 of its 2,300 scheduled daily services.

Among the affected airports, Hyderabad saw the highest number of cancellations at 115 on Sunday, with Mumbai and Delhi close behind at 112 and 109 respectively. Chennai recorded 38 cancellations, while 11 flights were called off in Amritsar.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the IndiGo spokesperson stated that following the recent operational disruptions, the airline is establishing further significant and sustained improvements across their network. “The first step to this was taken yesterday, today next steps have been taken on this with lesser cancellations and a higher On Time Performance. Also, cancellations were made at an earlier stage, allowing us to inform our customers timelier,” the statement read.

Claiming that their teams are working relentlessly to stabilise operations, the spokesperson stated that on Sunday, they are on track to operate 1,650 flights as compared to 1,500 on Saturday.

IndiGo said its on-time performance had improved significantly to around 75 per cent, up from nearly 30 per cent recorded a day earlier, indicating gradual stabilisation of operations amid the ongoing disruption.

The IndiGo spokesperson further said that efforts were being intensified across the network to restore normalcy and minimise inconvenience to passengers. The airline also said that its refund and baggage-related processes were now fully operational for both direct and indirect bookings, assuring affected flyers that pending claims and luggage issues were being addressed on priority. The carrier, however, did not specify a timeline for complete normalisation of services.

IndiGo indicated that it now expects its operations to stabilise by December 10, revising its earlier guidance of a December 10–15 recovery period. The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused and said it regretted the hardship faced by customers.

On Saturday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to its CEO Pieter Elbers and sought an explanation from him within 24 hours. “Whereas such large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management, and prima facie non-compliance on the part of the airline,” the notice said.

“Whereas as the CEO you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airlines, but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for the conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passenger,” it added.