India’s largest airline IndiGo continues to face severe operational disruption six days after a wave of mass cancellations and delays impacted airports across the country, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and furious.
According to data released after government intervention, more than 600 flights were cancelled, while several others faced significant delays at major airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed that the airline has so far processed refunds worth Rs 610 crore and delivered approximately 3,000 pieces of delayed baggage to affected passengers.
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Passengers across India took to social media to report sudden cancellations, malfunctioning refund systems on the airline’s app, and lack of advance communication. Several users complained that rescheduling and refund buttons were not working even after flights were cancelled.
One passenger wrote on X that last-minute cancellations had caused “a lot of misery,” stating that missed medical emergencies and family commitments could not be compensated by refunds alone.
CEO apologies, cites multiple failures
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology acknowledging the airline’s failure to manage the situation. He said the airline serves nearly 3.8 lakh passengers daily and admitted the airline “could not live up to that promise” during the crisis.
Elbers attributed the disruptions to a combination of factors including technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather, rising airspace congestion and the implementation of new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitation) norms, which created what he called a “cascading impact” on operations.
Today IndiGo posted an update stating that the board has been meeting regularly since the crisis began. The status update also shared,
"A Board constituted Crisis Management Group (CMG) was set up at the Board's first meeting on 4 December.
CMG meets every day to closely monitor all matters relating to present situation
CMG's priority is to deliver Board's mandate
Restore 100% operational integrity
Ensure timely information flow
Expedite full refund/rescheduling
Expedite return of baggage."
What passengers are entitled to under DGCA rules
As per DGCA guidelines, passengers whose flights are cancelled by the airline are entitled to:
Full refund or free rebooking
Meals and beverages depending on delay duration
Hotel accommodation and transport if delay is airline-caused
Compensation up to Rs 10,000 based on flight duration
Baggage delivery and compensation for delayed or misplaced luggage
Passengers facing refund issues can escalate complaints via the DGCA Air Sewa portal, IndiGo customer care, airport grievance desks, or official social media channels.
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Public discontent continues
Multiple passengers also questioned why cancellation alerts were sent only hours before boarding. Others demanded transparency on refund timeframes and real-time support from the airline.
Despite IndiGo’s assurances and the government’s intervention, disruptions and refund-related grievances continue to be reported from several airports.
