The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo Airlines over widespread flight disruptions in early December 2025 that affected more than three lakh passengers nationwide.
The action follows a comprehensive inquiry ordered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation after IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others between December 3 and 5, 2025. A four-member DGCA committee examined the airline’s operational planning, crew rostering, management oversight and software systems.
The inquiry found that the disruptions were primarily caused by overoptimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, deficiencies in system software support, and shortcomings in management structure and operational control. It noted that IndiGo failed to identify planning gaps, maintain adequate operational buffers, and effectively implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, resulting in large-scale cancellations and delays. The committee observed that an excessive focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft and network resources sharply reduced roster buffers. Crew schedules were designed to maximise duty periods, with heavy reliance on dead-heading, tail swaps, extended duty patterns and minimal recovery margins, undermining operational resilience.
Based on the findings, the DGCA initiated enforcement action against senior officials of Inter-Globe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company. The airline’s CEO was cautioned for inadequate operational oversight and crisis management, while warnings were issued to the Chief Operating Officer and the Senior Vice President of the Operations Control Centre. The SVP has been directed to be relieved of current operational responsibilities. Additional warnings were issued to officials overseeing flight operations, crew resource planning and roster management.
The regulator imposed one-time systemic penalties of Rs 1.80 crore for multiple violations of Civil Aviation Requirements, including breaches related to crew duty limits, operational control and accountable management.
A further Rs 20.40 crore penalty was levied for continued non-compliance with revised FDTL provisions over 68 days from December 5, 2025, to February 10, 2026, at Rs 30 lakh per day. The DGCA has also directed IndiGo to furnish a Rs 50 crore bank guarantee under the newly instituted IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme. The release of the guarantee will be phased and linked to DGCA-verified reforms across leadership and governance, manpower planning and fatigue risk management, digital systems and operational resilience, and board-level oversight over a 9–15 month period.
While acknowledging the violations, the regulator noted that IndiGo restored normal operations in a relatively short time and took measures including timely refunds, statutory compensation and a ‘Gesture of Care’ voucher of Rs 10,000 for affected passengers, valid for 12 months. The DGCA said the enforcement actions are aimed at strengthening systemic resilience, safeguarding aviation safety and protecting passenger interests, adding that an internal review is underway to implement further systemic improvements in line with the ministry’s directions.