The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday gave IndiGo a one-time 24-hour extension to reply to its show-cause notice issued over the airline’s recent nationwide disruptions. The extension came after IndiGo’s senior leadership requested more time, saying the size of its network and several operational complications had slowed down their internal review.
Officials said the regulator agreed to extend the deadline only until 6 pm on December 8, stressing that no further extensions will be permitted. The original notice was served to IndiGo’s CEO on Saturday, seeking an explanation for the airline’s days of delays, cancellations and passenger inconvenience.
IndiGo Continues Refund Processing
As part of its recovery efforts, IndiGo said it will continue offering a full waiver on cancellation and rescheduling fees for all bookings made until December 15. The airline said refund processing is being fast-tracked and that baggage tracing teams are working non-stop to clear backlogs created during the disruptions.
IndiGo also requested passengers to remain patient as staff across airports and control centres work “round the clock” to bring operations back to normal levels.
Government Says Aviation Network Showing Steady Improvement
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said it is closely monitoring the situation and has taken steps to ensure passengers do not face prolonged inconvenience. Officials said air travel across the country is stabilising, with all other airlines operating normally and IndiGo’s schedules also showing “visible signs of improvement.”
According to MoCA, IndiGo has already processed Rs 610 crore in refunds for cancelled or heavily delayed flights. The airline has also delivered nearly 3,000 pieces of misplaced baggage to customers as of Saturday. Authorities added that current corrective measures put in place by both the airline and the government will remain until operations fully settle.
Airline Begins Root Cause Analysis
A senior IndiGo official said the airline has begun a detailed root cause analysis to Identify what triggered the chain of disruptions. The official clarified that pilot shortage is not the primary issue, though IndiGo does not maintain a large buffer of standby crew. He also refuted rumours of a hiring freeze, saying recruitment has not stopped.
CEO Says Recovery Is Underway, OTP Expected to Rise
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline plans to operate around 1,650 flights on Sunday, and that its On Time Performance (OTP) is expected to touch 75% a notable jump from last week’s lows.
In an internal note to employees, Elbers said the airline is recovering “step by step,” and that recent system improvements have already boosted operational capacity. He assured staff that the focus remains on restoring full normalcy as quickly as possible.
