NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have launched an intensive review and monitoring exercise after IndiGo reported widespread operational disruptions and an unusually high number of flight cancellations across its network since late November 2025.Civil Aviation Minister reviewed the situation with senior MoCA officials and IndiGo’s top management, directing the airline and all relevant aviation bodies to take urgent steps to assist passengers and stabilise operations. The Ministry said it is keeping a “close watch” on the situation, according to DGCA’s statement cited by ANI.“In addition, the Civil Aviation Minister has also held a meeting with senior officers of the Airport Authority of India and instructed AAI to inform all airport directors that they should constantly monitor the situation and provide all support to stranded passengers. He also directed DGCA to closely monitor the airfares during the flight disruptions/cancellations,” according to the released statement.Apart from the ministry, DGCA, in a detailed review meeting chaired by the Director General (Civil Aviation), flagged concerns over IndiGo cancelling 170–200 flights per day, a level significantly higher than normal for the country’s largest airline.IndiGo attributed the disruptions to transitional challenges from the implementation of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) Civil Aviation Requirements, which came into effect in two phases — 01 July 2025 and 01 November 2025 — following court directions. The airline said the new fatigue-management rules, crew-planning issues, and winter operational constraints have sharply impacted scheduling stability.DGCA has directed IndiGo to normalise operations at the earliest and ensure that the current situation does not lead to fare increases.IndiGo has been instructed to submit:

IndiGo says more cancellation in next few days

As DGCA released its statement assuring firm corrective action and close monitoring, IndiGo, however, informed the regulator that stabilising its network will require a short transition period. The airline told DGCA that additional cancellations will continue over the next two to three days as part of its schedule-reset effort aimed at restoring roster balance and preventing further last-minute disruptions, as reported by PTI.IndiGo has also conveyed that it will proactively scale down flight operations starting December 8 to minimise passenger inconvenience and allow crew-planning teams to rebuild buffers eroded over recent weeks. According to the airline, this controlled reduction in operations is essential to streamline rosters, align crew availability with revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms and ensure that fatigue-management standards are fully complied with.The carrier has assured DGCA that corrective measures are already underway and that full operational stability will be restored by February 10, 2026. IndiGo said its recovery plan includes accelerated crew recruitment, intensified training cycles and a phased reintroduction of flights once adequate staffing and roster resilience are secured.

The UK and Norway have signed a defence agreement allowing their navies to operate a combined fleet of warships.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the “first of its kind” pact is aimed at protecting critical undersea cables, which the UK and NATO believe are under increasing threat from Russian submarines.

The Lunna House agreement – named after the Shetland Isles base used by the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War – was signed by Defence Secretary John Healey and his Norwegian counterpart, Tore Sandvik, in Downing Street on Thursday.

It will see the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy operate a fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates capable of hunting Russian submarines.

Mr Healey said it marked an “important moment” for two nations “with deep bonds”, adding that a “new era of threat” demands “co-operation” between NATO allies.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer added in a statement announcing the agreement: “At this time of profound global instability, as more Russian ships are being detected in our waters, we must work with international partners to protect our national security.

“This historic agreement with Norway strengthens our ability to protect our borders and the critical infrastructure our nations depend on.

“Through joint navy co-operation in the North Atlantic, we’re boosting security, supporting thousands of UK jobs, and showcasing Britain’s world-class shipbuilding on the global stage.”

Sir Keir, meeting with Norwegian prime minister Jonas Store in Downing Street after the agreement was signed, also said that Norway is an “absolutely vital member of the coalition of the willing”.

MoD: 30% rise in Russian vessels in UK waters

The MoD has reported a 30% rise in Russian vessels sighted in UK waters in the past two years.

The Royal Navy intercepted the warship RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya in November.

That came after Russia accused the British government of “provocative statements” after the defence secretary warned the Yantar was nearing the UK.

Russia’s UK embassy insisted that the Yantar was a research ship in international waters.

A month earlier, HMS Duncan and a helicopter were scrambled to shadow Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov.

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The new agreement is underpinned by a £10bn UK-Norway warship deal, signed in September, which saw Oslo order five Type-26 frigates. They will be constructed by BAE Systems in Glasgow.

It will allow a fleet of at least 13 anti-submarine ships from the UK and Norway to operate jointly in northern Europe, and monitor Russian naval movements in the waters between Greenland, Iceland and Britain.

A Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) bought eight years ago has turned a Rs 1 lakh investment into more than Rs 4.4 lakh, after the Reserve Bank of India announced the final redemption price for the 2017-18 Series-X tranche. The RBI said in its statement dated 3 December 2025 that this series will mature on Thursday, marking exactly eight years from its issue date.This particular tranche had remained open for subscription between 27 and 29 November 2017, with settlement taking place on 4 December that year. The central bank reiterated that, under the Government of India’s notification dated 6 October 2017, these bonds are repayable after eight years, making 4 December 2025 the official redemption date.The RBI has fixed the final payout at Rs 12,820 per unit, a figure calculated using the simple average of the closing prices of 999-purity gold for the three business days immediately before redemption. The India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA) recorded gold prices at Rs 12,821 per gram on 1 December, Rs 12,759 on 2 December, and Rs 12,880 on 3 December 2025, producing an average of Rs 12,820.When the bonds were originally issued, the ministry of finance had priced them at Rs 2,961 per gram, with an online discounted rate of Rs 2,911. Based on this, the absolute return—without including interest—comes to Rs 9,909 per unit (Rs 12,820 minus Rs 2,911). In percentage terms, this works out to roughly 340.3%, delivering a substantial gain for long-term investors.Alongside capital appreciation, SGB holders have also earned a 2.5% annual interest, paid by the government. The scheme, managed by the RBI, is designed as a digital or paper-based alternative to holding physical gold, removing concerns around purity and storage while offering the added benefit of interest income. Investors can also redeem their bonds early after five years, but only on interest payment dates. The bonds remain tradable, can be transferred, and may be used as collateral for loans.The RBI has clarified that investors will receive a maturity intimation one month before the payout date. On maturity day, the redemption amount will be credited directly to the bank account registered in the investor’s records. As per ET, anyone who has changed their bank details, email address or other contact information must inform their bank, SHCIL or post office in advance to avoid delays.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has written to employees acknowledging the severe disruptions that have hit the airline in recent days, conceding that IndiGo “could not live up to the promise” of providing a good travel experience to passengers. The carrier has seen more than 300 flight cancellations on Thursday alone, with scores of services delayed as operational challenges mounted.

In the internal message, Elbers said the past few days had been “difficult for many of our IndiGo customers and colleagues”, noting that the airline serves close to 3.8 lakh customers daily but had failed to meet expectations.“We could not live up to that promise these past days and we have publicly apologised for that,” he said.Elbers attributed the crisis to a mix of “minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, heightened congestion in the aviation ecosystem, and the implementation of the newly released FDTL norms”, which “compounded negatively to create a cascading impact on our operations”. He expressed gratitude to pilots, cabin crew, engineers, OCC, customer support, digital teams and airport staff who have been working “tirelessly to manage the situation, minimise the impact, and restore stability as quickly as possible”.As per PTI, IndiGo’s on-time performance had plunged to 19.7 per cent on December 3, underlining the scale of the disruption. Elbers told staff that given the size and complexity of IndiGo’s network, disruptions “grow large immediately” and require interventions at multiple levels. “Our immediate goal is to normalise our operations and bring punctuality back on track in the coming days, which is not an easy target,” he wrote.The DGCA has summoned IndiGo’s senior management to explain the unprecedented nationwide disruptions and present a corrective plan. The airline has already initiated “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules for the next 48 hours to stabilise operations, according to its official statement.Elbers, in his letter, urged employees to come together as one team, recalling how IndiGo recently completed the upgrade of 200 A320 aircraft within 24 hours. “I am confident we all can deal with this challenge too… Together, as one team, we will overcome this challenge and emerge even stronger,” he said.