December 9: India’s aviation regulator has given IndiGo until 6 p.m. on Monday to respond to a show-cause notice over massive flight disruptions that have forced the country’s largest airline to cancel thousands of flights since last week.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the notice on Saturday, citing “significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management” after the airline’s transition to new pilot duty and rest norms triggered widespread operational chaos. IndiGo has been asked to explain why enforcement action should not be taken.
IndiGo operated about 1,650 flights on Sunday, cancelling roughly 650 of its scheduled 2,300 daily domestic and international services, as it continued efforts to stabilise its network. The airline said it expects operations to return to normal by Dec. 10.
Flight disruptions entered their sixth day on Sunday, with Hyderabad airport reporting 115 cancellations, Mumbai 112, New Delhi 109, Chennai 38 and Amritsar 11. Since Tuesday, the carrier has cancelled more than 2,000 flights, marking India’s worst aviation crisis in years and leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, which stepped in to contain the fallout, ordered IndiGo to clear all pending refunds by 8 p.m. on Sunday and ensure that misplaced baggage is delivered within two days. IndiGo said it has processed ₹610 crore ($73 million) in refunds so far and delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage as of Saturday.
The government also imposed fare caps on domestic routes after ticket prices spiked as travellers sought last-minute alternatives.
IndiGo said on Sunday it was implementing “significant and sustained improvements” across its network and had activated a crisis management group to monitor the situation. The airline has secured temporary regulatory relief to allow pilots to conduct up to six night landings as it works to resume full operations.
“We are getting back step by step,” IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said, adding that more than 95% of the airline’s network connectivity was restored by Saturday. The airline apologised for the disruption and said passenger welfare remained its top priority.
IndiGo, which holds more than 60% of India’s domestic market share, has not publicly commented on the DGCA notice.
