IndiGo’s widespread operational crisis, now on its seventh day, has left passengers grappling with chaos and mounting frustration over disrupted travel plans. The budget carrier's operational turbulence had also pushed airfares sharply higher, deepening the turbulence for flyers nationwide.
On Monday, 8 December – IndiGo cancelled 562 flights for the day from six metro airports – including 150 at Bengaluru Airport alone. However, in a recent statement, the airline said that the situation is gradually stabilising, with 137 out of its 138 airport destinations now operating at full capacity.
Are you eligible for the refund?
The low-cost carrier notified the affected passengers on Sunday, 7 December, that they will be eligible for a full refund on all cancellations and reschedule requests on bookings with travel dates between 5 December 2025 and 15 December 2025.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules, if delays or cancellations are caused by the airline, passengers are entitled to receive a refund or make a rebooking.
How to claim your refund?
Here are the full steps that you need to follow to claim your refund on a cancelled or delayed IndiGo booking:
— Open the official IndiGo website or mobile app and navigate to the “Manage Booking” option. Enter your PNR or booking reference and your last name to check the status of your flight.
— If the airline cancels your flight, you can either claim a full refund or rebook on the next available flight at no extra charge. For domestic flights delayed by more than six hours, you are entitled to choose between an alternate flight departing within six hours or a full refund.
— After assessing your situation, go to the IndiGo refund page and select “Cancellation / Refund for Cancelled Flight.” After that, just enter your PNR, email ID and passenger details, then submit the request.
How are these refunds processed?
If you made an online payment for your flight booking, the refund is processed back to the same card or payment method used, typically within 5–7 business days.
However, if you paid in cash, you have to visit the airport ticket counter where you made the booking. They will initiate the refund once you produce your valid flight ticket and ID proof.
Refunds for bookings made through agents or third-party portals should be processed by those agencies upon receiving a refund claim from the passenger.
Refunds processed by the airline so far
The Civil Aviation Ministry said on Sunday that IndiGo had so far processed refunds amounting to ₹610 crore for passengers affected by the widespread flight cancellations and delays.
As of Saturday, IndiGo had returned around 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across the country, Mint had reported earlier.
This comes after the government directed IndiGo to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening and ensure that it delivered baggage separated from travellers to their preferred address in the next two days.
