IndiGo shares fall 3% as airline battles large scale operational breakdown

Shares of IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation are trading 3% lower on Thursday after IndiGo, India’s largest airline, suffered one of its most severe operational breakdowns in recent years, with delays and cancellations reported across the country.

An estimated 250 to 300 flights were cancelled over the past two days.

IndiGo on Wednesday apologised for the large-scale disruptions, saying it regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers. The airline said the cancellations and delays were triggered by a combination of unexpected operational issues.

In its statement, IndiGo said minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, heavy airport congestion and updated crew rostering rules collectively strained operations in a way the airline says it could not have anticipated.

“We acknowledge that IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused. A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated,” the airline said.

To restore stability, IndiGo has made calibrated adjustments to its schedules for the next 48 hours. The airline said these steps should help normalise operations and improve punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered alternate flights or refunds wherever applicable.

InterGlobe Aviation shares ended 1.73% lower on Wednesday at ₹5,599. The stock is up 22% so far in 2025.