InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo, continued to face intense market pressure on December 5 as the airline’s massive flight cancellations spilled over into a sixth day of operational disruption. The stock fell more than 3 percent intraday to ₹5,265, its lowest level in over five months, before recovering some ground and closing 1.3 percent lower at ₹5,367.50. With this latest drop, the company’s shares have now declined nearly 9 percent over the past four sessions.
The week-long turbulence began as IndiGo struggled with severe crew shortages, compounded by newly implemented pilot rest regulations. The airline has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights daily, leading to widespread delays and long queues at major airports. Over the past five trading sessions alone, shares of InterGlobe Aviation have fallen more than 7 percent, and analysts warn that the decline could deepen by as much as 16 percent if cancellations continue at the current scale.
Market sentiment improved slightly after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) eased certain pilot rest norms, which had been identified as a major reason for crew unavailability. This regulatory relief offered some breathing room for IndiGo, as investors hoped the move would help normalise operations and ease the strain on flight schedules.
Despite the sharp correction in the stock, global brokerages remain cautiously optimistic about IndiGo’s longer-term prospects. Citi has reiterated its Buy rating with a target price of ₹6,500, signalling a potential upside of nearly 20 percent from current levels. The brokerage noted that IndiGo’s management is actively recalibrating schedules and expects operational stability to be restored within the next two days, which could help improve on-time performance and sentiment.
Morgan Stanley, while retaining its Overweight rating, has trimmed its target price to ₹6,540 from ₹6,698. The firm pointed to rising cost pressures across the aviation sector and tighter capacity constraints, which have prompted a cut in IndiGo’s earnings estimates for FY27 and FY28 by approximately 20 percent. However, the brokerage added that fare increases could partially offset the higher expenses and support profitability.
Meanwhile, passenger frustration has intensified as disruptions widened across major airports. According to PTI, more than 400 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Friday alone, with delays piling up throughout the day. Bengaluru recorded 102 cancellations, including 50 departures and 52 arrivals, while Mumbai reported 104 cancellations and Hyderabad logged 92. Travellers complained of long waiting times, insufficient communication and inadequate access to food and water as the airline struggled to operate with reduced crew availability.