Rs 22.20 Crore Penalty Imposed On Indigo For December Fiasco And Non Compliance Of FTDL Norms

This includes a penalty for non-compliance of new flight duty timing rules for the pilots and cabin crew for which IndiGo had sought time till February 10, 2026.

In addition, IndiGo has been ordered to pledge a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore in favour of DGCA, to ensure compliance with the directives and long-term systemic correction while warnings have been issued to IndiGo top management including CEO Pieter Elbers cautioning them against any future repeat of such a situation.

To plug problems at its own end and correct systems within, the DGCA has started an internal inquiry to identify and implement improvements within its own systems.

Lakhs of passengers faced massive inconvenience due to abrupt flight cancellations and delays by IndiGo between December 3 to 5, 2025.

A total of 2,507 flights were cancelled and 1,852 were delayed leaving about three lakh passengers stranded at various airports as IndiGo management crumbled under the pressure of new roster rules for pilots and crew.

The DGCA had in December constituted a four-member committee to carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances leading to the operational disruptions of IndiGo.

During the probe, the committee took statements of the stakeholders and thoroughly studied the network planning, rostering and software being deployed by IndiGo.

The inquiry committee found that the primary causes for the disruption were over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness along with deficiencies in system software support and shortcomings in management structure and operational control on the part of IndiGo.

The committee observed that the airline’s management failed to adequately identify planning deficiencies, maintain sufficient operational buffers, and effectively implement the revised FDTL provisions. These lapses resulted in widespread flight delays and large-scale cancellations, causing inconvenience to passengers.

“The inquiry further noted an overriding focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft, and network resources, which significantly reduced roster buffer margins.

Crew rosters were designed to maximise duty periods, with increased reliance on dead-heading, tail swaps, extended duty patterns, and minimal recovery margins.

This approach compromised roster integrity and adversely impacted operational resilience. The inquiry also included within its purview long term reform measures addressing systemic issues so that such incidents do not occur in the future and passengers are not put to any inconvenience.

The findings underscore the need for balanced operational planning, robust regulatory preparedness, and effective management oversight to ensure sustainable operations and passenger safety and convenience,” the DGCA officials said.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Board of Directors of InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) acknowledged the DGCA’s orders regarding the major operational disruption in early December 2025. The airline’s leadership assured stakeholders that they are taking "full cognizance" of the directives and will implement appropriate measures in a timely manner.

The Board further noted that an "in-depth review" of internal processes has been underway since the incident to bolster resilience and ensure the airline emerges stronger. Citing its "pristine record" of over 19 years, IndiGo reaffirmed its commitment to serving the nation and supporting India’s goal of becoming a global aviation major by 2030.