Refund Deadline Set: IndiGo Gets Stern Ultimatum From Govt After Week-Long Chaos

Addressing passenger frustration, the airline said it was ensuring refunds for cancelled flights and offering flexible rescheduling to stranded travellers.

The minister directed IndiGo to process all refunds by 8 pm on Sunday and settle baggage claim requests within 48 hours, warning of regulatory action for any delay.

Source : PTI

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• Regulator demands refunds and baggage settlements; show-cause notice issued.

IndiGo’s days-long disruption showed signs of easing on Sunday, with the airline reporting that operations were gradually returning to normal across most routes. Crowds at several major airports thinned as services stabilised, and IndiGo claimed flights had resumed on nearly all sectors. The airline confirmed it was now operating to 137 of its 138 destinations but admitted that restoring public confidence would take time following last week’s severe crisis. Despite improvements, cancellations and operational strain continued across multiple airports.

Top 10 Highlights You Need To Know

1. Delhi Airport saw significantly less congestion on Sunday morning compared with previous days, though several flights from Jammu, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Nagpur and Aizawl were cancelled. Mumbai Airport reported eight cancellations, while Chennai recorded 40.
2. IndiGo aims to normalise over 1,650 flights by Sunday night, up from the previous day’s target of 1,500. Before the crisis, the airline operated around 2,300 flights daily. It said operations had resumed on 137 of 138 destinations.
3. The airline reported that 75% of flights were now on time-a 30% improvement from the previous day. Efforts continued to return passengers’ luggage.
4. On Saturday, IndiGo cancelled more than 700 flights across 113 locations, citing the need to reset its network, systems and rostering to ensure more stable operations the following day.
5. These cancellations were part of thousands of disrupted flights linked to the airline’s miscalculation of required pilot numbers under new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
6. To ease the crisis, the aviation regulator relaxed certain rules, while the government accused IndiGo of significant mismanagement that triggered panic among passengers. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that action would be taken and said a show-cause notice had been issued, requiring a response within 24 hours.
7. The minister directed IndiGo to process all refunds by 8 pm on Sunday and settle baggage claim requests within 48 hours, warning of regulatory action for any delay.
8. IndiGo said its Board of Directors was informed about delays and cancellations on day one of the crisis, after which a crisis management group led by Chairman Vikram Mehta, CEO Pieter Elbers and other board members was formed.
9. Addressing passenger frustration, the airline said it was ensuring refunds for cancelled flights and offering flexible rescheduling to stranded travellers.
10. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of promoting a monopoly model, a charge the aviation minister rejected, stating that efforts were underway to strengthen competition in the aviation sector.

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