Delhi High Court seeks IndiGo affidavit on refunds, compensation after December flight chaos

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed IndiGo to file an affidavit detailing the refunds and compensation it has initiated for passengers affected by large-scale flight cancellations and disruptions in early December 2025.

A bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia asked the airline to submit the affidavit in two weeks and adjourned the hearing to 25 February.

The court also took on record, in a sealed cover, the inquiry report submitted by the Union government and the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), into the operational lapses that brought India’s aviation network to a standstill.

Additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma, appearing for the union government, told the court that penalties totalling ₹22.2 crore were imposed on IndiGo following the probe. He said the airline’s chief executive and chief operating officer were issued warnings, while a senior official heading the operations control centre was removed for non-compliance with pilot duty and rest norms.

IndiGo's counsel told the court that refunds for cancelled flights were being processed and that affected passengers were being offered compensation of up to ₹10,000 per person, with priority given to those who were most severely affected.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Akhil Rana seeking directions for passenger support, refunds and compensation for the widespread cancellations.

Mass disruption

The issue stems from mass flight cancellations in early December 2025, triggered by IndiGo’s failure to adequately adapt to the revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms, which led to severe operational disruptions.

On 17 January, the DGCA imposed a record penalty of ₹22.2 crore on IndiGo, holding the airline responsible for overstretching its flight crew and failing to comply with the revised FDTL rules. The regulator also directed IndiGo to furnish a ₹50-crore bank guarantee to ensure compliance with regulatory directions and long-term systemic reforms.

A four-member inquiry committee found that the airline had prioritised maximum utilisation of aircraft and pilots, leaving a minimal buffer in rosters and relying heavily on extended duties, dead-heading and tight turnarounds at the cost of operational resilience.

The DGCA also flagged deficiencies in software systems, management structure and operational control, and noted that IndiGo was at least 65 captains short when the final phase of the FDTL rules came into force.

Earlier, the regulator ordered a 10% cut in IndiGo’s schedule, temporarily relaxed certain FDTL norms, imposed fare caps, mandated daily fare submissions, and set up a round-the-clock control room.

It also deployed flight operations inspectors and passenger facilitation teams at IndiGo’s control centre and key airports between 6 and 30 December to monitor operations, ensure regulatory compliance, and oversee passenger support measures such as refunds, accommodation, lounge access and priority assistance.

February promise

More than a month after the crisis, IndiGo has informed regulator that it would have adequate crew strength to fully comply with the revised duty and rest norms by 10 February. In submissions to the DGCA, the airline said it currently has around 2,400 captains and 2,240 first officers, and is in the process of hiring additional pilots to operate without the temporary FDTL exemptions granted during the disruptions.

During a hearing in December, the Delhi High Court had questioned the union government and DGCA over the mass cancellations and sharp fare increases, observing that passengers were hit by both operational chaos and “predatory pricing".