Following Govt Push, IndiGo Set to Compensate Disrupted Passengers From Next Week

The government on Friday directed IndiGo to immediately roll out compensation for passengers affected by widespread flight disruptions earlier this month, ordering the airline to expedite payouts and ensure that no eligible passenger is left out.

As part of the relief measures, IndiGo will begin issuing travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 each from December 26 to severely impacted passengers who were stranded at airports for several hours on December 3, 4, and 5. This will be in addition to mandatory compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, as prescribed under government norms.

The directive was issued by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha during a high-level review meeting on Friday. Officials said IndiGo has been instructed to start compensation payments within a week for passengers who booked tickets directly through the airline’s website, as their details are readily available. For passengers who booked through travel agents and online travel agencies (OTAs), IndiGo has been directed to obtain passenger data from these platforms and disburse compensation directly, with the process expected to begin at the earliest.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with ensuring that compensation reaches every affected passenger, while the Civil Aviation Ministry will oversee the process through its Air Seva grievance redressal portal.

Despite IndiGo initiating refunds, several passengers who booked tickets through OTAs continue to face delays. Asha Sen (name changed), a south Delhi-based banker, said she had used credit card reward points to partially pay for her December 7 flight from Udaipur to Delhi. “IndiGo says the refund has been initiated, but the OTA has yet to start the process, delaying the reversal of both the reward points and the remaining amount paid by card,” she said.

IndiGo executives maintained that refunds for flights cancelled during the disruption period have been processed in full, without any deductions, and that the onus now lies on OTAs to transfer the amounts to passengers. Sources said major OTAs, including MakeMyTrip, had begun issuing refunds even before receiving funds from IndiGo, with MakeMyTrip alone reportedly disbursing nearly ₹10 crore. Last week, the DGCA held a meeting with OTAs and directed them to ensure full refunds to passengers without any cuts.

Between December 1 and 9, IndiGo cancelled 4,354 flights. Of these, 2,456 domestic and 51 international flights were cancelled on December 3, 4, and 5 alone. Based on an estimated average of 150 passengers per cancelled flight for these 2,507 services—excluding passengers on delayed flights who may also be eligible for vouchers—the airline may have to issue travel vouchers to more than 3.8 lakh passengers, with the total compensation value estimated to exceed ₹376 crore.

Also Read: IndiGo Cancels 59 Flights Nationwide, Raising Fresh Disruption Fears