Amid IndiGo disruptions, Ministry of Civil Aviation launches emergency measures: ‘If passengers are stranded…’

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed airlines, especially IndiGo, to implement measures immediately to resolve the severe disruption to flight schedules and stabilise services without delay, an official statement said.

Two orders have been issued to address problems faced by the public and restore service stability, especially on IndiGo.

The order said, “It is expected: All flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal midnight tonight; Full services and stability should return over the next couple of days; Passengers can track delays, if any, from home through information system installed by IndiGo and others; In the event of flight cancellation IndiGo will ensure automatic full refund for tickets.”

"If passengers are stranded, they will be put up at hotels where accommodation has been booked by airlines. Special measures have been taken to ensure senior citizens are not discomfited in any manner. They will be provided with lounge access; Passengers of delayed flights will be provided with refreshments and other necessities; A 24x7 control room at the Ministry of Civil Aviation is constantly monitoring the situation on a time basis," the order further read.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the Central Government is fully alert to the woes of air passengers and is in constant consultation with all stakeholders. "Every possible measure, including rule exemptions as announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday, will be taken to restore schedules and ensure stability to mitigate the public's woes," the statement added.

Earlier today, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted IndiGo Airlines a one-time temporary exemption from specific crew duty regulations to help stabilise flight operations and reduce passenger disruptions.

The regulator said that the exemption covers provisions under Night Duty from 0000-0650 hours and restrictions on night operations of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) Civil Aviation Requirements Section 7 Series J Part III Rev 2, Phase-II, applicable to the airline's A320 fleet, and is valid until February 10, 2026.

In its decision, DGCA noted that while the operator is primarily responsible for passenger inconvenience, the exemption is being granted in the public interest to ensure continuity of essential air services. The regulator also stressed that safety requirements must continue to be strictly observed and reserves the right to revoke the exemption if safety is compromised.

Earlier in the day, in a statement, IndiGo said Friday should be the day with the highest number of cancellations. "Today should be the day with highest number of cancellations, as we are doing all that is necessary to reboot all our systems and schedules for progressive improvement starting tomorrow," it said in a post on X. "Short-term proactive cancellations are being made to ease operations, decongest the airports to prepare for starting stronger tomorrow," the airline added.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and delayed, leaving passengers stranded at airports as the flight disruptions continued for the fourth day on Friday. Deeply apologising for the disruptions, IndiGo said the situation will not get resolved overnight.

(With inputs from ANI)