- By Deeksha Gour
- Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IndiGo Flight Update: After a week of cancellations that left passengers stranded across the country, IndiGo has submitted its formal reply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The response, signed by the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, was filed on Monday evening at 6:01 PM.
The airline conveyed “deep regret” and offered “heartfelt apologies” to affected travellers. However, the company again stopped short of explaining how such an unprecedented operational breakdown occurred. IndiGo maintained that the disruption stemmed from an “unexpected combination of factors”, which it said are still not fully known.
Airline Issues Public Statement And Refund Update
Earlier on Monday, IndiGo posted an update on X, stating that refunds for flights cancelled between December 3 and 15, 2025 were already under process.
Passengers whose plans have changed because of the cancellations have also been given a waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges for travel until December 15. According to the airline, refunds will return to the original payment method and may appear as one or two transactions.
We’d like to inform you that refunds for flights cancelled between 3rd December 2025 and 15th December 2025 are already being processed.
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 8, 2025
In case your plans have changed due to the disruption, we are also offering a full waiver on change and cancellation requests for all…
IndiGo said its teams were “working tirelessly” to stabilise operations and assist customers.
Regulator Examines Reply; Action Likely
The DGCA is now reviewing IndiGo’s response. Initial indications suggest that the regulator is not satisfied with the explanation provided so far. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had already warned the Rajya Sabha that strict action would follow if IndiGo failed to justify the crisis.
In a separate statement, Naidu told Doordarshan that the government will reduce IndiGo’s winter flight schedule and redistribute some of its routes to other airlines. He said IndiGo currently operates around 2,200 flights a day and confirmed that these routes “will definitely be curtailed” in light of the ongoing disruptions.
IndiGo has asked the regulator for more time, arguing that the show-cause notice legally allows a 15-day period for explanation. The reply submitted on Monday, therefore, contains only preliminary details, with a full assessment promised later.
What IndiGo Has Reported So Far
In its submission, IndiGo listed several “initial contributing factors”, including minor technical issues, winter schedule changes, poor weather conditions, airport congestion and the rollout of Phase-2 Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules for pilots.
The airline told the DGCA that these factors combined in the first week of December, reducing crew availability and creating system-wide stress. IndiGo said it had already been requesting a waiver or deferral of the new FDTL rules, which increase rest requirements for pilots.
On December 5, IndiGo carried out what it called a “network reboot”, cancelling a significant number of flights to reposition crew, move aircraft and clear backlogs. The airline stated that services have been improving since December 6 and that it attempted to provide stranded passengers with meals, accommodation, transport and refunds “to the greatest extent possible”.
Passenger experiences reported on the ground, however, have not aligned with this claim.
DGCA Panel Likely To Summon IndiGo Leadership
A DGCA-appointed four-member panel investigating the large-scale disruption is expected to summon IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday. The committee, formed on December 5, is reviewing manpower planning, rostering practices and the airline’s readiness to implement the latest FDTL rules.
The panel will also study compliance gaps admitted by IndiGo and identify accountability for failures that contributed to the operational collapse. It has been asked to submit its findings within 15 days.
Scale Of Cancellations And Refunds
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, IndiGo cancelled 500 flights on Monday and operated 1,802 services to 137 destinations. The airline also told the ministry that it delivered 4,500 of the 9,000 misplaced bags and expects to complete the remaining deliveries within 36 hours.
Data shared by the ministry shows the scale of the disruption:
- 5,86,705 PNRs for travel between December 1- 7 were cancelled and refunded, totalling Rs 569.65 crore.
- 9,55,591 PNRs between November 21 and December 7 were cancelled and refunded, amounting to Rs 827 crore.
IndiGo continues to face pressure from both passengers and the government as the DGCA prepares to take further action.