By IndiGo continued to grapple with severe operational disruptions on Monday, processing ticket refunds worth ₹610 crore as nationwide chaos showed little sign of easing.
More than 350 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Monday, extending the crisis into its seventh consecutive day. Operations at India’s largest airline have yet to stabilise, marking one of the most significant air travel breakdowns the country has ever witnessed.
At Delhi airport, 134 flights — 75 departures and 59 arrivals — were cancelled. Bengaluru reported 127 cancellations, followed by Chennai with 71, Hyderabad with 77, and Jammu with 20. In Ahmedabad, 20 flights were grounded, and Vizag saw seven cancellations. Several major hubs, including Mumbai and Kolkata, also experienced substantial disruptions. As of 10:30 am, the total known cancellations stood at 456.
This followed over 650 cancellations on Sunday, a reduction from more than 1,000 flights grounded two days earlier. Officials confirmed that IndiGo has processed ₹610 crore in refunds for impacted passengers.
According to the airline, the crisis was triggered by an acute shortage of cockpit crew after the full implementation of the government’s Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilot rest. The rule change led to a wave of cancellations and widespread airport chaos. The government has since stayed the regulation, and IndiGo now aims to restore normal operations by December 10.
On Sunday, the DGCA granted IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras an additional 24 hours — until 6 pm Monday — to respond to show-cause notices related to the disruptions.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has moved to contain the fallout, including capping airfares, directing IndiGo to speed up refunds, and launching a high-level inquiry. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu noted that responsibility rests with the airline, adding that the pilot duty rules had been notified a year earlier.
IndiGo said it is investigating the combination of factors that escalated into the current crisis. The ministry also reported that, as of Saturday, the airline had refunded ₹610 crore and returned 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers, following a government ultimatum for prompt refunds.
