Following its investigation into flight cancellations and delays that affected hundreds of thousands of passengers across India in December 2025, India’s civil aviation regulator DGCA has imposed an administrative fine of 22.20 crore rupees (approximately USD 2.45 million) on the country’s largest airline, IndiGo. Along with the fine, strict administrative sanctions targeting the company’s senior management have also been implemented.
According to DGCA’s findings, between 3–5 December 2025 IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and experienced serious delays on 1,852 flights. These disruptions resulted in more than 300,000 passengers being adversely affected at airports across India.
Planning and Regulatory Deficiencies
A four-member investigation committee established on the instruction of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) listed excessive operational optimisation, inadequate regulatory preparedness, weak software infrastructure and deficiencies in management oversight as the primary causes of the crisis.
The report emphasised that IndiGo failed to effectively implement the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations. Crew planning based on high utilisation rates significantly narrowed operational recovery margins due to reserve shortages, roster changes and extended duty periods.
Sanctions Against Senior Management
DGCA issued an official warning to IndiGo’s CEO for inadequate crisis management and overall supervisory failures. The Accountable Manager (COO) was also warned for failing to sufficiently assess the operational impact of the revised FDTL rules.
While the removal of the senior vice president responsible for the operations control centre from their current duties was requested, separate warnings were also issued to senior executives responsible for flight operations, workforce planning and shift management. IndiGo was further instructed to take action against other personnel found responsible within the company and to submit a detailed compliance report to DGCA.
Penalty Components Detailed
Under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), DGCA imposed a one-time fine of 1.80 crore rupees (approximately USD 200,000) for six separate violations.
In addition, for non-compliance with the revised FDTL provisions over a 68-day period between 5 December 2025 and 10 February 2026, a fine of 20.40 crore rupees (approximately USD 2.25 million) was levied, calculated at 30 lakh rupees (around USD 36,000) per day. This brought the total penalty amount to approximately USD 2.45 million.
USD 5.5 Million Bank Guarantee Requirement
IndiGo was required to provide a bank guarantee of 50 crore rupees (approximately USD 5.5 million) under the IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme (ISRAS). The release of this guarantee was made conditional upon DGCA-verified reforms in leadership and governance, workforce planning and fatigue risk management, digital systems and operational resilience, and board-level oversight.
Compensation and Voucher Support for Passengers
DGCA noted that IndiGo gradually resumed operations following the disruptions, and announced that the airline offered affected passengers, in addition to refunds and statutory compensation, a “Gesture of Goodwill” voucher worth 10,000 rupees (approximately USD 110), valid for 12 months.
Meanwhile, MoCA instructed the launch of a separate internal inquiry within DGCA to identify potential structural shortcomings in regulatory processes.
Clear Message from DGCA
Emphasising that safety and regulatory compliance are fundamental priorities in civil aviation, DGCA stated that the sanctions imposed aim to enhance operational resilience in India’s aviation sector, protect passenger rights and safeguard the well-being of flight crews.
