Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that IndiGo’s operations are stabilising after days of nationwide disruptions, even as the government stepped up enforcement and launched intensive airport checks across the country. He said airports are reporting “normal conditions” and assured that no airline would be allowed to inconvenience passengers through planning failures or non-compliance.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo’s senior leadership and begun a detailed enforcement investigation. The Minister said strict action will follow based on the findings, adding that the revised pilot and crew rostering rules remain non-negotiable.
Refunds, baggage tracing and passenger support measures are being closely supervised by the Ministry. Naidu said IndiGo had been instructed to process refunds promptly, with more than Rs 750 crore already issued. The airline later said it had refunded Rs 827 crore to affected passengers for cancellations up to December 15, with the remaining amount under process.
The Minister said IndiGo is being held accountable for the disruption, adding that safety and passenger dignity remain the top priority for the government. Fare caps were imposed to prevent financial exploitation of stranded passengers, and rebookings were carried out without extra charges. Naidu said IndiGo had assured full compliance with duty-time norms and confirmed preparedness for the winter schedule.
Opposition members staged a walkout after the Minister’s statement in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the DGCA ordered IndiGo to cut its daily schedule by five per cent and directed the airline to submit a revised roster by December 10. According to the regulator, 64,346 flights had been approved for IndiGo in November, but it operated 59,438 and cancelled 951.
Alongside the enforcement process, the Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a 24×7 review of airport functioning as the disruption continued to affect passengers across major hubs. Officials have been deployed to airports to monitor ground conditions, assess handling procedures and interact directly with passengers.
In a post, Naidu said the Ministry and DGCA have been monitoring the situation in real time since December 3, when irregularities in IndiGo’s operations began affecting schedules nationwide. He described the situation as an extraordinary one that required sustained intervention.
A high-level review meeting was held with senior officials from the Ministry and DGCA to assess operational gaps. Officers were instructed to conduct ground inspections at airports and ensure immediate rectification of any lapses, including delays in communication, congestion management or inadequate assistance at terminals.
The intensified review follows continued complaints on social media about long queues, slow check-ins and unclear information about rescheduled flights. IndiGo, the country’s largest carrier, has been facing operational challenges since early this week, causing disruptions at major airports including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Officials said the government’s priority is to stabilise on-ground processes and improve passenger communication. A detailed advisory is expected once assessments from airport visits are compiled over the next 24 hours.
