Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the government addressed the IndiGo crisis, with 100% refunds for PNR cancellations completed. He added that operations are returning to normal and 90% of delayed baggage has arrived for passengers.
Government Addresses IndiGo Crisis
Ministry of Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the government worked actively to address passengers' concerns in the wake of the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis, and 100 per cent refunds for PNR cancellations have apparently been completed. In an interview with ANI, Samir Kumar Sinha said things are almost back to normal after the Indigo crisis.
Sinha, who visited the Delhi airport on Monday to observe the baggage operation, said 90% of the baggage has already arrived and that airlines have been sending it to the respective addresses. "That is a major concern of the passengers. I had come to see the baggage operation here. We just saw that 90 per cent of the baggage has already arrived. The airlines have been sending baggage to their respective passengers' addresses. I feel that within the next 24 hours or so, the luggage will be there at the passenger's given address," he said.
"It was a major concern, and in fact we took due notice, and we issued an order, and also we coordinated with IndiGo, and I think all 100% refund has already been completed," he added.
Sinha said IndiGo has flown more than 1,800 flights today, which is almost normal and other airlines have also flown to their full capacity. "Things are almost back to normal. Airlines have been performing. In fact, the operations have been very smooth. IndiGo has flown more than 1,800 flights today, which is almost normal. All the other airlines, like Akasa, Air India Express, Air India, Spicejet, they have flown their full capacity. So things are getting back to normal as I see today," Sinha said.
"The worst, in my opinion, was 4th and 5th of December and thereafter things started swinging into action. We coordinated at various tiers; many meetings took place with the senior management of IndiGo, and we also coordinated with the airports, airport directors, both the PPP and the AAI airports. Now I think things are almost normal," he added.
Internal Crew Issues Caused Disruption, Says Minister
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told Rajya Sabha earlier in the day that the problems faced by Indigo airlines passengers were linked to the airline's internal crew rostering and operational planning, and not the Aircraft Maintenance and Scheduling System (AMSS). He added that thorough consultations have been held with all stakeholders concerning Flight Time Limitations (FTTL) guidelines, and emphasised that there will be no compromise on safety.
He said stringent Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) exist to protect passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations. "For all passengers who have faced difficulties due to delays and cancellations, strict Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) are in place. Airline operators have to follow these requirements. Regarding the software issue, an inquiry has been made. Continuous technology upgradation happens in this sector. Our vision from the government is to have top global standards for the aviation sector in the country," he said.
He noted that the problems at "IndiGo were related to crew rostering and internal operational planning, which the airline is responsible for managing on a day-to-day basis". Naidu underlined that the government is taking the situation seriously and warned, "If there is non-adherence by any operator, we will take very strict action." He also highlighted the government's intent to encourage more players in the aviation sector.
Answering a question from AIADMK member M Thambi Durai, who cited long hours spent stranded and exorbitant fares, the Union Minister expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. He said over five lakh PNR cancellations had been recorded. "The government has capped fares and created four pricing slabs, taking strict action against non-compliance, and has previously acted to curb unreasonable fare hikes," the minister said
IndiGo Details Refunds and Recovery Efforts
IndiGo Airlines on Monday said that it has processed refunds worth Rs 827 crore for thousands of passengers, till now, with the rest of the refunds for cancellations up to December 15, 2025. "Over 4500 bags have been delivered to respective customers, and we are on track to deliver the rest in the next 36 hours," the airlines said in a statement.
The airlines also claimed that they have assisted over two lakh customers every day, across various communication channels. The airlines said it has facilitated stranded customers and arranged over 9,500 hotel rooms, and close to 10,000 cabs/buses between 1 to December 7.
"Over 1800 flights operated which is up from 1,650 yesterday, and 90% on-time performance (OTP) across the entire network has been registered, up from 75% yesterday," the statement read. It also said that the all the network coverage has been fully restored, and all cancellations in today's schedule were executed yesterday, ensuring advance notifications being sent to customers.
Regulatory Follow-up and Stabilization
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo's Accountable Manager and Chief Executive Officer a one-time 24-hour extension to respond to the Show Cause Notice issued on December 6 over large-scale operational disruptions and observed non-compliances. The airline had requested more time, citing "operational constraints" linked to the size of its nationwide network and multiple unavoidable factors contributing to the delays.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on Sunday that it has taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by the IndiGo operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience. It said that air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)