- Regulator DGCA fined IndiGo Rs 22.20 crore for major operational lapses
- IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 in December 2025
- Over 3 lakh passengers were stranded due to IndiGo's flight cancellations and delays
The civil aviation regulator DGCA has imposed a penalty of Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo and taken strict enforcement action against its senior management after a probe found serious planning, operational and regulatory lapses behind the massive flight disruptions in December 2025.
The large-scale delays and cancellations happened between December 3 and 5, 2025, during which IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and 1,852 saw delays. These factors left over three lakh passengers stranded in airports across India.
The chairman and members of the board of directors of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the firm that owns IndiGo, in a statement confirmed they have received the DGCA's orders and will take appropriate measures.
"We would like to take this opportunity to inform all of our stakeholders, particularly our valued customers, that the board and the management of IndiGo are committed to taking full cognizance of the orders and will, in a thoughtful and timely manner, take appropriate measures," the statement said.
The company said an in-depth review of the robustness and resilience of internal processes at IndiGo has been underway since the disruption to ensure that the airline emerges stronger out of these events in its otherwise pristine record of over 19years of operations.
What Caused The Disruptions?
A four-member inquiry committee, set up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), found that the primary causes were over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, weak software systems, and shortcomings in management oversight at IndiGo.
The committee noted that IndiGo failed to maintain adequate operational buffers and did not effectively implement the revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms. Crew rosters were designed to maximise utilisation, relying heavily on dead-heading, tail swaps and extended duty periods, which reduced recovery margins and compromised operational resilience.
Action Against IndiGo's Top Management
The aviation regulator issued a caution to the IndiGo CEO for inadequate overall oversight and crisis management. A warning has also been issued to the accountable manager (COO) for failing to assess the impact of the winter schedule 2025 and revised FDTL norms.
A warning to the senior vice president (operations control centre) directing that he be relieved of current operational responsibilities and not assigned any accountable position was sent.
Warnings were also issued to the deputy head of flight operations, AVP of crew resource planning, and director of flight operations for lapses in supervision, workforce planning and roster management.
IndiGo has been told to take action against other personnel identified internally and submit a compliance report to the DGCA.
The Penalty Explained
The DGCA imposed 1.80 crore as one-time penalties for six separate violations of Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), including failure to comply with FDTL norms, improper operational control, and inadequate management oversight.
A fine of Rs 20.40 crore was imposed for continued non-compliance with revised FDTL provisions for 68 days, from December 5, 2025 to February 10, 2026, calculated at Rs 30 lakh per day. The total penalty amounts to Rs 22.20 crore.
Bank Guarantee For Systemic Reforms
IndiGo has been ordered to pledge a Rs 50-crore bank guarantee under the newly instituted IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme (ISRAS). The release of this guarantee will be phased and linked to the DGCA-verified reforms across four pillars: leadership and governance; workforce planning, rostering and fatigue-risk management; digital systems and operational resilience, and board-level oversight and sustained compliance.
Each phase will be independently verified by the DGCA before funds are released, ensuring long-term systemic correction.
Passenger Relief And Regulator's Own Reforms
The DGCA acknowledged that IndiGo restored operations swiftly after the disruption. Apart from refunds and mandatory compensation, the airline issued a 'Gesture of Care' voucher of Rs 10,000, valid for 12 months, to passengers whose flights were cancelled or delayed by more than three hours during the affected period.
Separately, the MoCA directed an internal inquiry within the DGCA to identify and implement systemic improvements at the regulator's level.
DGCA's Message
Reiterating that safety and regulatory compliance remain paramount, DGCA said the enforcement actions aim to strengthen operational resilience, protect passenger interests, and safeguard the well-being of pilots, crew and operational staff across India's civil aviation ecosystem.
