IndiGo, one of India’s largest airline is under tight scrutiny as the Ministry of Civil Aviation orders it to clear all pending passenger refunds by 8 pm on Sunday, December 7, following five days of massive disruptions that saw over 1,000 flights cancelled on Friday alone and nearly 400 more on Saturday.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has vowed accountability, warning those responsible “will pay for it,” while passengers endure protests, stranded luggage piles, and soaring fares at major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
Refund Deadline and Passenger Relief Measures
The ministry’s directive mandates immediate processing for all cancelled or disrupted flights, with no rescheduling fees, baggage delivery within 48 hours, and fare caps to prevent gouging by other carriers.
IndiGo must set up specialised refund units for proactive outreach and automatic payouts until operations stabilise, facing regulatory action for non-compliance.
Minister Naidu emphasised protections for vulnerable groups like seniors and medical passengers, stating on X that oversight would ensure “timely redressal” of rights. IndiGo’s “Plan B” policy waives change or cancellation fees for travel between December 1-15, offering free rebooking or full refunds, alongside ground transport and hotel arrangements for the stranded.
Scale of Disruptions: Numbers and Human Toll
Over the week, IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights in November alone, with 755 tied to crew shortages and new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), dropping punctuality to 67.7% from 84.1% prior.
Friday’s chaos included all 235 Delhi departures scrapped, 73 in Bengaluru, 68 in Hyderabad, and 85 expected in Mumbai, leaving thousands facing long queues, emotional distress, and unclaimed luggage mountains at terminals.
Passenger videos captured heated airport arguments, protests in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and families missing connections amid winter schedule pressures. Shares fell 3.4% on Thursday, reflecting market jitters over the 60% market leader’s meltdown.
Root Causes: Crew Shortages and Regulatory Shifts
The crisis traces to pilot and crew unavailability, misjudged FDTL Phase 2 implementation, technical glitches, airspace congestion, and post-pandemic demand surges.
DGCA summoned IndiGo leadership after briefing revealed planning gaps where “actual crew needs surpassed expectations,” temporarily suspending stricter pilot rest rules (from 36 to 48 hours weekly) in public interest.
CEO Pieter Elbers apologised in a video, estimating normalcy between December 10-15 short-term, but full stabilisation by February 10, 2026, sparking alarm for booked travellers.
From December 8, IndiGo will slash flights for “schedule stabilisation,” admitting normalisation is no “easy target.”
Government Intervention and Industry Fallout
Opposition leaders decried the “crisis,” while DGCA granted FDTL exemptions to sustain services, though airfares spiked amid alternatives’ overload. IndiGo informed regulators of nighttime duty limit relief requests to avert prolonged pain.
The episode exposes aviation’s structural strains, with Elbers blaming an “accumulation” of issues like weather and tech in staff emails. Airports issued advisories, like Delhi’s at 11:34 pm Friday, urging status checks.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The Logical Indian stands for empathy and accountability in public-facing sectors, viewing IndiGo’s turmoil as a call for airlines to humanise operations through transparent crisis handling and proactive passenger care, fostering trust and harmony in travel essential to modern life.
Regulators must enforce swift resolutions without compromising safety, promoting dialogue between carriers, authorities, and citizens for resilient systems that prioritise people over profits.
