IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights across India this week, leaving thousands stranded, sleepless and helpless — all because of a crisis the airline knew was coming for nearly two years. Why did India’s biggest airline fail to prepare? Why did the DGCA wait until the system collapsed? And are the government’s last-minute exemptions now putting flight safety at risk? Sunetra Choudhury breaks down the avoidable disaster, the pilots’ warning, the role of the regulator, and what this means for every Indian flier.