India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has vacated 717 flight slots at domestic airports after the aviation regulator curtailed its winter schedule by 10 per cent, following widespread operational disruptions in early December.
Slots refer to specific time windows allocated to airlines for aircraft take-offs and landings. The vacated slots span the January–March period of the ongoing winter schedule.
Major metro airports account for nearly half the vacated slots
Of the total 717 slots surrendered by IndiGo, 364 are from six major metro airports: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Hyderabad and Bengaluru account for the largest share among these cities, PTI cited a source as saying.
Month-wise data shows that 361 slots were vacated for March, while February saw only 43 slots being freed up. January also accounts for 361 vacated slots.
Ministry invites airlines to apply for vacated slots
Against this backdrop, the Civil Aviation Ministry has asked other domestic airlines to submit requests to operate flights on the slots vacated by IndiGo. “IndiGo has submitted a list of 717 slots to the ministry, which it has vacated after the domestic winter schedule was reduced by 10 per cent in early December last year," Hindustan Times quoted a source as saying.
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The airline, which typically operates over 2,200 flights daily, scaled back services after a directive from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aimed at reducing last-minute cancellations and improving operational stability.
Impact of DGCA’s 10% winter schedule cut
Under its approved winter schedule for 2025–26, IndiGo was permitted to operate 15,014 flights per week, translating to around 2,144 flights daily. Following the 10 per cent reduction, this number fell to approximately 1,930 domestic flights per day.
"Going by the slots vacated by IndiGo, it is clear that they can be operated by other airlines only till the end of March. After that, they might go back to IndiGo. No one can do the network planning at such short notice. No one is going to open a sector at such short notice, operate it only to close after a month," Hindustan Times quoted an airline industry executive as saying.
The action followed major disruptions between December 3 and 5, during which IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others, affecting over three lakh passengers nationwide.
Industry skepticism over slot redistribution
Industry executives said other airlines may be reluctant to take over the vacated slots, as many are valid only till the end of March and largely fall during late-night or early-morning “red-eye” hours. Short-term availability also limits network planning flexibility.
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DGCA action and financial penalties
On January 17, the DGCA imposed fines totalling ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo and issued warnings to CEO Pieter Elbers and two senior executives. The airline was also directed to furnish a ₹50 crore bank guarantee.
Subsequently, the regulator said the disruptions stemmed from inadequate crew management, insufficient regulatory preparedness, and gaps in operational systems and oversight.
