The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is scheduled to conduct a comprehensive review meeting today with senior executives from all airline operators, prompted by the severe operational disruptions experienced by IndiGo. This follows a high-level internal discussion chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu with top MoCA officials on Monday evening.
According to sources, the primary objective of the review is to implement measures that will prevent the recurrence of a crisis on the scale of IndiGo’s recent operational meltdown.
In its most recent update issued on Monday night, IndiGo stated that it had processed refunds amounting to Rs 827 crore for cancellations up to December 15 and achieved a 90 per cent on-time performance across its network. The airline further reported operating more than 1,800 flights on that day despite cancelling over 450 services.
As of Tuesday morning, 26 IndiGo flights to and from Lucknow remained cancelled.
Sources indicate that the MoCA meeting, to be held at Rajiv Bhawan, will thoroughly examine IndiGo’s current operations, including passenger loads, customer-care handling, and the refund processing mechanism. The session will also discuss the airline’s roadmap for restoring full operational capacity. Additionally, progress on the implementation of airfare caps will be reviewed, and any concerns raised by other airline operators will be recorded.
In a post on X, Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that a high-level review meeting had been conducted on Monday night to evaluate the situation, and senior officials have been instructed to visit airports personally to monitor airline operations and passenger services. “Any gaps identified, including those flagged by passengers, are to be fixed immediately,” he wrote.
Speaking to Doordarshan ahead of the meeting, the Aviation Minister announced that the Centre will reduce IndiGo’s winter schedule and reallocate the freed-up slots to other carriers. He also confirmed that 6,000 out of 9,000 stranded passenger bags have already been delivered, with the remaining bags expected to reach their owners by Tuesday morning.
Sources further revealed that the DGCA’s High-Level Committee has summoned IndiGo’s top leadership, including CEO Pieter Elbers, to appear before a four-member panel on Wednesday.
Also Read: IndiGo restores 95% connectivity, plans to operate 1,500 flights
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received IndiGo’s formal response to the show-cause notice, in which the airline offered “profuse apologies” and expressed deep regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. IndiGo attributed the disruptions to a “compounding effect of multiple factors” that unfortunately converged in an “unfortunate and unforeseeable confluence.” The carrier has sought additional time to submit a comprehensive root-cause analysis.
In its latest status update, IndiGo emphasised that it is making steady progress toward full recovery and remains fully committed to assisting customers and resolving their concerns “on a war footing.”
The airline stated that it has expedited several internal processes to support this effort.IndiGo also disclosed that between December 1 and 7, it arranged accommodation for affected passengers in more than 9,500 hotel rooms and provided nearly 10,000 cabs and buses for transportation. Additionally, over 4,500 misplaced bags have been returned to passengers, with the balance expected to be delivered within the next 36 hours.
Also Read: IndiGo refunded ₹610 cr so far; delivered 3,000 baggages
Rating agency Moody’s has described IndiGo’s inadequate preparation for the new aviation regulations as credit negative. It highlighted that the widespread chaos underscores significant deficiencies in planning and oversight, particularly since the regulatory changes were announced more than a year in advance.
A public interest litigation filed in the Delhi High Court, listed for hearing on Wednesday, seeks immediate directions to the Centre to ensure basic amenities for passengers stranded at airports. The plea also demands an independent judicial probe into the IndiGo disruptions, with the report to be made public, and calls for the government to institute a mechanism to curb any unjustified surge in airfares.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has disclosed that a total of 5,86,705 Passenger Name Records (PNRs) were cancelled and refunded for the period December 1–7, amounting to Rs 569.65 crore. In the broader period from November 21 to December 7, a total of 9,55,591 PNRs were cancelled and refunded, totalling Rs 827 crore.
Also Read: IndiGo flight delays to continue today at Delhi airport
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