Dhaka: India’s aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed troubled carrier IndiGo to immediately reduce its planned flight schedule by 5pc, in a bid to stabilise operations amid mass cancelations.

The move comes after the airline cancelled thousands of flights — more than 5,000 by some counts — following its failed rollout of the second phase of updated crew‑rest and duty‑time regulations (FDTL), which came into force Nov. 1.

IndiGo, which normally operates about 2,300 flights daily but was running roughly 1,800 on Monday as it tried to recover, has been told to submit a revised schedule by Wednesday (Dec 10).

The government has also opened an inquiry into the disruption; some FDTL norms have been suspended for now. Analysts warn the collapse may dent the airline’s financial and operating performance, depending on how swiftly and sustainably services are restored.

-B