New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator DGCA has imposed penalties totalling ₹22.2 crore on IndiGo following a probe into large-scale flight disruptions between December 3 and 5, 2025, when the airline cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852, stranding over three lakh passengers. The enforcement action follows findings of systemic shortcomings in planning, rostering and regulatory preparedness.
A four-member inquiry committee constituted by DGCA concluded that the primary causes included over-optimisation of operations, inadequate buffers in crew and aircraft deployment, deficiencies in software systems and gaps in management oversight. The airline was also found to have failed in timely and effective implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, aggravating the scale of disruptions.
As part of enforcement, DGCA has issued a caution to IndiGo’s CEO for inadequate oversight and crisis management, while warning the accountable manager (COO) for failure to assess the impact of the Winter Schedule 2025 and revised FDTL rules. The senior vice-president (Operations Control Centre) has been warned and directed to be relieved of current operational responsibilities, with additional warnings issued to other senior officials involved in flight operations and crew planning.
On the financial side, the regulator imposed one-time systemic penalties of ₹1.8 crore across multiple violations under Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), including failures in roster planning, operational control and accountable management. A further ₹20.4 crore has been levied as a continued non-compliance penalty for 68 days of breach of revised FDTL provisions, taking the total penalty to ₹22.2 crore.
In a significant move aimed at long-term correction, DGCA has also directed IndiGo to furnish a ₹50-crore bank guarantee under the IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme (ISRAS). The phased release of the guarantee will be tied to DGCA-verified implementation of reforms across leadership and governance, manpower planning and fatigue-risk management, digital systems and operational resilience, and sustained board-level oversight over a 9–15 month period.
The regulator acknowledged that IndiGo restored operations relatively quickly and, following directions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, extended refunds, statutory compensation and a ₹10,000 ‘Gesture of Care’ voucher to affected passengers. DGCA said the actions are aimed at strengthening systemic resilience and safeguarding safety and crew welfare across the aviation ecosystem.