New Delhi: India’s civil aviation regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo after a detailed probe found major planning and operational failures behind the airline’s massive flight disruptions in December 2025. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) not just imposed financial penalty but has also taken strict enforcement action against several members of the airline’s senior management.
The disruptions occurred over a three-day period between December 3 and 5 when IndiGo cancelled 2,507 and delayed 1,852 flights. The scale of the disruption left more than three lakh passengers suffering at airports across the country, triggering widespread criticism and regulatory scrutiny.
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, IndiGo’s parent company confirmed that its board has received the DGCA’s orders. In a statement, the airline said its leadership was taking the findings seriously and would implement corrective steps in a timely manner. The company also said it has begun a deep review of its internal systems and processes to prevent a repeat of such events.
Press Note on Indigo Flight Disruptions- December 2025: Findings, Enforcement Action and Systemic Reforms @MoCA_GoI @Pib_MoCA pic.twitter.com/GDJLiQ4pxE
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) January 17, 2026
What went wrong in December
A four-member inquiry committee constituted by the DGCA, on the directions of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, identified several reasons for the breakdown. The panel pointed to aggressive over-optimisation of operations, lack of regulatory preparedness, weak software systems and gaps in management oversight.
According to the findings, IndiGo failed to maintain adequate operational buffers and did not properly implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. Crew rosters were stretched to maximise aircraft utilisation with heavy dependence on practices such as dead-heading, tail swaps and extended duty hours. This left little room for recovery when disruptions began to snowball.
Action against senior executives
The DGCA has issued a caution to IndiGo’s CEO for shortcomings in overall oversight and crisis handling. The accountable manager and chief operating officer has been warned for not adequately assessing the impact of the winter schedule and revised duty norms.
In a stronger move, the senior vice president overseeing the operations control center has been directed to step away from current operational responsibilities. Warnings have also been issued to other top officials, including the deputy head of flight operations, the AVP of crew resource planning and the director of flight operations for lapses in supervision and workforce planning.
How penalty was calculated
Out of the total Rs 22.20 crore penalty, Rs 1.80 crore has been imposed as one-time fines for six separate violations of Civil Aviation Requirements. These include non-compliance with FDTL rules and inadequate operational control.
The remaining Rs 20.40 crore relates to continued non-compliance with revised duty norms for 68 days from December 5, 2025 to February 10, 2026, calculated at Rs 30 lakh per day.
Reforms and regulator’s message
IndiGo has also been asked to furnish a Rs 50-crore bank guarantee under a newly introduced systemic reform assurance framework. The amount will be released in phases linked to DGCA-verified improvements in governance, crew management, digital systems and board-level oversight.
The regulator noted that IndiGo restored operations quickly after the crisis. The affected passengers received refunds, statutory compensation and a Rs 10,000 ‘Gesture of Care’ travel voucher valid for a year.
While reiterating its stance, the DGCA said the enforcement action is aimed at strengthening resilience, protecting passengers and ensuring the safety and well-being of crew across India’s aviation sector.