Source The Hindu
New Delhi, December 6, 2025 — India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, is grappling with a severe operational crisis, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights for the fifth consecutive day. Amid growing public anger and a direct intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the airline has issued a statement emphasizing that it is addressing all customer refund issues “on priority.”
The airline’s promise comes as airports across the country, particularly Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, remain chaotic, with thousands of passengers stranded due to the widespread schedule failures.
MoCA Imposes Deadline and Fare Cap
In a major development, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken a strong stance, giving IndiGo a strict deadline. The MoCA has mandated that the airline must complete the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, 2025. Any failure to comply will result in immediate regulatory action.
Furthermore, the ministry has acted to protect passengers from exploitative pricing, issuing a directive that caps airfares on affected routes to prevent “opportunistic pricing” during the crisis.
IndiGo Announces Automatic Refunds and Fee Waivers
To streamline the process and mitigate passenger inconvenience, IndiGo has rolled out specific relief measures:
Automatic Refunds: All refunds for cancelled flights will be processed automatically back to the original mode of payment, removing the need for customers to submit separate requests.
Full Waiver: The airline is offering a full waiver on all cancellation and reschedule requests for bookings with travel dates between December 5 and December 15, 2025.
Proactive Assistance: The airline stated its teams are working to stabilize schedules and have been instructed to provide accommodation and meals to stranded travellers.
“We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused,” an IndiGo spokesperson said in a public statement, acknowledging the disruption.
The Root Cause: New Pilot Norms
Industry experts point to a shortage of flight crew, primarily triggered by the recent, stricter implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, as the primary cause of the widespread chaos.
The new rules, enforced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), increase the mandatory weekly rest period for pilots and limit the number of night landings, significantly impacting the airline’s tightly managed flight roster. IndiGo, with its high utilization model, has been the hardest hit.
Key Airport Cancellations (As of Saturday Evening)
The latest updates indicate the turmoil is continuing, though IndiGo claims operations are stabilizing:
City Cancelled IndiGo Flights (Approx.)
Delhi (DEL) Over 100
Mumbai (BOM) Over 100
Bengaluru (BLR) Over 120
Hyderabad (HYD) Over
The airline has also been directed to establish dedicated passenger assistance cells to proactively address customer grievances until full operational normalcy is restored.
