IndiGo chaos: Airline waives cancellation, rescheduling fees for December 5-15 bookings
After a severe system-wide meltdown, IndiGo offering free changes for December 5–15 bookings, arranging accommodation for stranded passengers
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In an official statement, IndiGo has stated that it will waive all cancellation and rescheduling fees for travel bookings made between December 5 and 15, offering impacted passengers the freedom to amend or cancel their plans at no additional cost. The airline noted that it is "doing everything necessary to reboot systems and schedules" following days of widespread disruptions.
The airline added that in order to accommodate stranded travelers, it has set up thousands of hotel rooms in several cities and is "trying to ensure" that food is served to customers who are waiting at airports, along with lounge access for senior citizens. Following what it described as a serious operational meltdown, IndiGo said that these actions are a part of its efforts to stabilize its network and restore normalcy.
Despite promising a "progressive improvement" in operations starting on December 6, the airline also admitted that December 5 is probably going to be the worst day of cancellations in its 20-year history.
IndiGo, which operates roughly 2,300 daily flights with a fleet exceeding 400 aircraft, has experienced a significant jump in cancellations and delays at key airports throughout the week. On Friday alone, the airline canceled more than 700 flights, driving the total number of scrapped services in recent days into the thousands and causing major disruptions at airports across the country.
The severity of the disruptions prompted intervention by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In response to the escalating situation, the regulator rescinded a provision that had prohibited airlines from counting crew and pilot leave as weekly rest, thereby providing carriers with enhanced flexibility in roster management under India’s revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations.
IndiGo has attributed the turmoil largely to an unexpected pilot shortage stemming from planning lapses.
At airports, long queues, packed waiting areas and frustrated passengers were common. Some travelers said they were asked to deboard after boarding due to abrupt cancellations, while many took to social media to criticize poor communication, limited rebooking options and soaring fares on other airlines.
