Aviation regulator DGCA penalises IndiGo ₹22.20 crore after finding planning lapses behind thousands of flight delays and cancellations in December.

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has imposed a ₹22.20 crore penalty on IndiGo following an investigation into large-scale flight disruptions earlier this month.

The probe concluded that over-optimisation of aircraft and crew deployment led to operational chaos between December 3 and 5, when the airline faced 2,507 cancellations and 1,852 delayed flights. Of the total penalty, ₹20.40 crore was levied for repeated violations of flight duty time limits spanning 68 days. The regulator has also directed IndiGo to furnish a ₹50 crore bank guarantee to ensure corrective steps are implemented.

As part of the enforcement action, the DGCA asked the airline to strengthen leadership accountability, operational planning and internal oversight. Several senior executives were either issued warnings or reassigned to different roles. IndiGo, meanwhile, said it had processed refunds for affected passengers and offered travel vouchers as a goodwill measure.

The regulator’s move has sparked mixed reactions. While some aviation experts have welcomed the fine as a sign of stricter compliance enforcement, others argue that the penalty may be modest given the airline’s scale and market dominance.

The episode highlights how aggressive scheduling can backfire in peak travel periods, directly affecting passengers’ trust. For travellers, the incident underlines the importance of monitoring airline advisories during high-demand seasons. For the industry, the DGCA’s action signals tighter scrutiny on operational resilience, not just market share or growth.