Centre fines IndiGo ₹22cr for major flight disruptions in December
What's the story
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) has imposed a fine of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo after an investigation revealed serious lapses in planning and operations. The disruptions took place between December 3 and 5, 2025, when IndiGo canceled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 others, leaving over three lakh passengers stranded across India.
Investigation findings
DGCA's investigation reveals operational lapses at IndiGo
A four-member inquiry committee constituted by the DGCA found that the disruptions were due to over-optimization of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, weak software systems, and poor management oversight. The committee observed that IndiGo did not maintain adequate operational buffers and failed to implement revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms effectively.
Management accountability
IndiGo's management faces warnings, penalties imposed
The DGCA has also issued warnings to IndiGo's top management for lapses in oversight and crisis management. A caution was issued to the CEO for inadequate overall oversight and crisis management. Warnings were also sent to other senior officials, including the COO, the senior vice president (operations control center), the deputy head of flight operations, the AVP of crew resource planning, and the director of flight operations for various lapses.
Penalty details
IndiGo fined for non-compliance with FDTL norms
Of the fine, the DGCA has imposed ₹1.80 crore as one-time penalties for six violations of Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), including non-compliance with FDTL norms and improper operational control. An additional fine of ₹20.40 crore was imposed for continued non-compliance with revised FDTL provisions from December 5, 2025, to February 10, 2026. This brings the total penalty amount to ₹22.20 crore.
Reform assurance
IndiGo ordered to pledge bank guarantee for reforms
IndiGo has been directed to pledge a ₹50-crore bank guarantee under the IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme (ISRAS). The phased release of this guarantee will be linked to DGCA-verified reforms across four pillars: leadership and governance; workforce planning, rostering, and fatigue-risk management; digital systems and operational resilience; board-level oversight and sustained compliance.
Passenger relief
DGCA acknowledges IndiGo's swift restoration of operations
The DGCA has, however, acknowledged IndiGo's quick restoration of operations after the disruption. The airline provided refunds and mandatory compensation, along with a 'Gesture of Care' voucher worth ₹10,000 to affected passengers. Separately, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has directed an internal inquiry within the DGCA to identify systemic improvements at its level.