IndiGo Refunds Rs 827 Crore, Airlines Trying To Get Back Normalcy As Chaos Enters Day 7

IndiGo said its operations have largely stabilised after a week of disruption, with 1,800 flights running on Monday and on-time performance across the network touching 90%. The airline said the schedule is now fully restored, while refunds worth hundreds of crores and large-scale passenger support arrangements are still being processed across India.

Despite that recovery, IndiGo continued to cancel a significant number of services from major airports as the impact of crew rostering issues lingered. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government has launched a probe into the episode, which followed the rollout of new Flight Duty Time Limitations norms designed to manage pilot fatigue.

IndiGo flights operations and cancellations

On Sunday, IndiGo had operated 1,650 flights with 75% on-time performance. By Monday, departures increased to 1,800, and punctuality rose to 90% across the system, according to the airline. IndiGo said all remaining cancellations in Monday’s plan were decided a day earlier, so flyers received advance alerts about changes.

Even as the airline reported full restoration of its network, disruption remained heavy in some hubs. IndiGo on Monday cancelled 562 flights from six metro airports, and 150 of those cancellations originated from Bengaluru airport alone. PTI reported that around 560 of IndiGo’s usual 2,300 daily flights from the six key metros were called off.

IndiGo operates services to and from about 90 domestic airports and more than 40 overseas airports. The scale of its schedule meant that any roster disruption quickly affected thousands of passengers across India and abroad, leading to long queues, delays and pressure on airport infrastructure through the first week of December.

IndiGo flights refunds and passenger support

The airline said it has already processed refunds worth Rs 827 crore for affected passengers, with the balance still under way for cancellations up to 15 December. IndiGo added that all refunds are being sent back to the original mode of payment and may show up as one or two separate transactions.

In a detailed update on X, IndiGo told customers: "We'd like to inform you that refunds for flights cancelled between 3rd December 2025 and 15th December 2025 are already being processed. In case your plans have changed due to the disruption, we are also offering a full waiver on change and cancellation requests for all bookings valid for travel till 15th December 2025. You can do so by visiting https://bit.ly/4iGWxU9 and following the simple steps. Refunds will be credited to the original payment method and may appear as one or two transactions," it said.

The airline also issued an apology to affected travellers. "We are deeply sorry for the disruption to your journey. Please be assured that our teams both on the ground and behind the scenes are working tirelessly to support all affected customers and restore normal operations as quickly as possible," it added.

We'd like to inform you that refunds for flights cancelled between 3rd December 2025 and 15th December 2025 are already being processed.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 (@IndiGo6E) December 8, 2025.

IndiGo flights assistance and key numbers

To manage stranded passengers between 1 and 7 December, IndiGo said it organised more than 9,500 hotel rooms. The airline also arranged close to 10,000 cabs and buses for disrupted customers. Over 4,500 delayed bags have already reached travellers, and IndiGo said remaining baggage should be delivered within the next 36 hours.

According to the airline, staff members assisted more than 2 lakh customers every day during the disruption phase. Support was handled through call centres, digital channels and airport counters. IndiGo said the scale of the operation required round-the-clock coordination across teams to track bookings, refunds, rebookings and luggage movements.

IndiGo flights DGCA norms and government probe

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation last year introduced new Flight Duty Time Limitations rules, aimed at reducing pilot fatigue and improving safety. Regulators expected airlines to realign crew rosters before the norms took effect. However, IndiGo did not successfully reorganise its pilot schedules, which led to large-scale cancellations and delays once the changes began applying.

To calm operations during the crisis, the DGCA temporarily paused implementation of some of the fresh safety norms. This pause was meant to stabilise schedules while airlines, including IndiGo, corrected their crew planning systems. Despite the temporary relief, the initial failure to match rosters with the FDTL rules triggered days of disruption for passengers.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told Parliament that the government is examining IndiGo’s role in the situation. Naidu said the ministry had already met IndiGo on 1 November, when the airline sought clarifications about the new rules. "This was an operational issue created by IndiGo…we were continuously in touch…on November 1, too, the ministry had a meeting…IndiGo sought some clarification and it was given…they failed to maintain their roster," Naidu told the Rajya Sabha.

IndiGo flights pilot allegations and ongoing questions

A pilot from IndiGo, speaking anonymously to News18, alleged that some cancellations were deliberate. According to the pilot, the airline tried to build disruption data while seeking changes to the FDTL norms. News18 said IndiGo was asked for comment on these claims, but a response had not arrived when the report was published.

The pilot alleged: "The FDTL norms came in January 2024. But on November 1, even with special Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clearance, IndiGo still cancelled flights to create fake disruption data and pressure the regulator," said the pilot, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The pilots wanted to fly, but the airline refused," he added.

As IndiGo works to keep 90% of flights on time and clear refunds, the airline still faces scrutiny from regulators, Parliament and its own staff. The probe ordered by the Centre, the DGCA’s handling of safety norms and the pilot’s allegations are likely to decide how IndiGo’s rostering systems and compliance practices are judged in the coming months.