IndiGo ordered to clear refunds: When's deadline; who gets refund
What's the story
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered IndiGo Airlines to complete all pending refunds for canceled or disrupted flights by 8:00pm on Sunday. In addition, airlines have been directed not to charge rescheduling fees for affected passengers. "Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry warned that any delay or non-compliance will result in immediate regulatory action.
Flight disruptions
IndiGo's operational crisis leads to widespread cancelations
The airline had earlier said it will fully refund all bookings canceled between December 5-15. The order comes amid a massive operational crisis at IndiGo, which has canceled over 1,000 flights in four days. The disruptions have affected domestic air travel across India and led to a spike in fares as passengers scramble for limited seats. Major airports, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, have been severely impacted, with hundreds of flights being removed from schedules within hours.
Refund process
IndiGo to fully refund canceled bookings, set up support cells
IndiGo has been asked to set up dedicated passenger support and refund-facilitation cells. The ministry said these cells will proactively reach out to affected travelers and ensure refunds are processed without repeated follow-ups. "The system of automatic refunds will remain active until operations stabilize completely," it said. The ministry further ordered that any baggage separated from passengers due to cancellations or delays be traced and delivered within 48 hours.
Fare regulation
Ministry imposes fare caps to prevent opportunistic pricing
The ministry also took note of a sharp surge in airfares in the aftermath of the IndiGo disruptions and imposed temporary fare caps on all airlines. "These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilizes. The objective of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel, including senior citizens, students...patients are not subjected to financial hardship during this period."
Crew shortage
IndiGo's crew shortage and ministry's intervention
The operational turmoil at IndiGo is due to a severe crew shortage after the introduction of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. In a bid to stabilize operations, the Centre has intervened by waiving the newly introduced weekly-rest requirement for pilots. Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said on Friday, "We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved within the next three days."