Flight delays have become a normal experience for travellers in India, and even IndiGo, an airline known for being on time, is facing the same problem in 2025. Passengers across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai are dealing with long waiting hours, rescheduled flights, and sudden last-minute changes. People are confused and frustrated, and everyone is asking the same question: Why is this happening so often?
The truth is that flight delays never happen because of just one reason. It is usually a mix of different issues happening at the same time. The biggest reason today is airport congestion. India’s air travel demand has grown very fast, but our airports haven’t expanded at the same speed. There are more flights than the airport can handle in peak hours. So, when one flight gets delayed, it creates a chain effect. One delay leads to the next, and the entire schedule starts breaking down.
Another major reason is crew availability. Pilots and cabin crew have strict duty-hour rules for safety. If they cross their maximum working hours because of earlier delays, they cannot operate the next flight. So even if the aircraft is ready, the airline has to arrange a new crew. This takes time, and passengers end up waiting longer without understanding why things are moving slow.
Weather also plays a big role. Cities like Delhi face heavy fog in winter, Mumbai deals with strong monsoon rains, and many airports face low visibility at different times of the year. When visibility drops, flights cannot land or take off safely. Even when the weather improves, the backlog takes hours to clear. So, passengers who check in for evening flights often get delayed because morning flights get stuck.
IndiGo also follows a tight schedule for its aircraft. A plane lands, gets cleaned, refuels, boards new passengers, and takes off again sometimes within 30–40 minutes. This is possible only when everything runs smoothly. But if engineers find even a small technical issue, the aircraft must be checked properly before flying again. This is good for safety, but it causes delays when there is no spare aircraft available.
Ground operations add another layer of pressure. When airports are overcrowded, baggage loading, cleaning, security, boarding, and refuelling all slow down. Even a small delay of 10–15 minutes on the ground can push the next flight behind schedule. When you add this up across dozens of flights, you get a day full of delays.
Many passengers also feel frustrated because communication from airlines is not always clear. Sometimes updates are late or incomplete, which makes people feel anxious. Even if the airline is trying to fix the situation, the lack of clear communication makes the delay feel worse.
The good news is that passengers can take simple steps to reduce stress. Checking the flight status before leaving for the airport, avoiding tight connections, arriving on time, and knowing basic passenger rights can help. For example, airlines must provide meals after a certain delay and must assist in rebooking if the delay is long. Many people do not know this.
Even with the delays, IndiGo is still one of the safest and most reliable airlines in India. But the current situation shows that the entire aviation system, airlines, airports, weather, and operations is under heavy pressure. As new terminals open and more aircraft join the fleet, travellers can expect better experiences in the future.
Conclusion
IndiGo’s delays in 2025 are not caused by one simple issue. Crowded airports, busy schedules, crew limits, weather changes, and slow ground operations all mix together and create problems. The frustration for travellers is understandable, but these delays also show how overloaded the system has become. With better planning and stronger airport capacity, things are likely to improve. Until then, staying prepared and informed can make the journey easier.
BY- RINAL RATHI
