New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulator, has imposed a penalty of ₹22.20 crore on airline Indigo for extensive flight disruptions in December 2025. This information was provided by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday.
According to the regulator, Indigo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 flights between December 3 and 5, stranding over three lakh passengers across airports nationwide.
The widespread disruption caused significant inconvenience and raised serious concerns about the airline’s operational capacity and preparedness.
The total fine includes a one-time penalty of ₹1.80 crore for multiple violations of civil aviation regulations.
Additionally, DGCA imposed a daily fine of ₹30 lakh for 68 days for non-compliance with revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, adding ₹20.40 crore to the penalty. This brought the total fine to ₹22.20 crore.
In response, Indigo stated its commitment to fully comply with DGCA’s orders and take appropriate measures promptly.
DGCA formed a four-member investigation committee which found that the crisis was caused by excessive operational optimization, lack of regulatory preparedness, weaknesses in scheduling software, and gaps in management and operational controls.
The committee also observed that Indigo’s management failed to identify planning deficiencies, did not maintain sufficient operational buffers, and improperly implemented the revised FDTL rules. These shortcomings resulted in massive delays and cancellations during the peak travel period.
The report further noted that the airline’s aggressive strategy to maximise aircraft and crew utilisation left limited scope for recovery during disruptions, increasing pressure on crew members through dead-heading and tail swaps, thereby weakening operational capability.
DGCA has issued a warning to Indigo’s CEO for inadequate monitoring and crisis management.
The accountable manager and Chief Operating Officer were also warned for failing to assess the impact of the Winter Schedule 2025 and revised FDTL rules.
Furthermore, the Senior Vice President of the Operations Control Centre has been removed from current responsibilities and barred from holding any accountable position.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.