IndiGo gets more time to reply to DGCA notice as disruptions persist

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday granted IndiGo chief executive Pieter Elbers additional time to respond to a show-cause notice issued over the airline’s massive flight disruptions. The carrier has been asked to file a detailed explanation by 6 pm on Monday, after it sought more time to compile its response.

India’s largest airline remained in recovery mode on Day 6 of the crisis. While operations improved, the disruptions continued, with 1,650 flights operating out of the daily schedule of around 2,300. About 650 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone.

Airports in major cities continued to report significant cancellations: Hyderabad saw 115 flights scrapped, Mumbai 112, Delhi 109, Chennai 38 and Amritsar 11. Since Tuesday, more than 2,000 flights have been cancelled, affecting thousands of passengers and triggering a nationwide scramble for alternatives.

The airline said it has processed refunds worth Rs 610 crore for cancellations and long delays, and delivered around 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers as of Saturday. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had directed IndiGo to clear pending refunds and stranded baggage by 8 pm on Sunday.

The ministry also intervened to cap fares on domestic routes after ticket prices spiked during the chaos, with passengers forced to book expensive last-minute alternatives.

The DGCA’s notice to the airline cited lapses in planning and oversight during the holiday travel period, calling the situation one of the most severe aviation disruptions seen in recent years.

IndiGo has maintained that its network is “gradually stabilising” and expects further improvement in the coming days.

With agency inputs