New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator has taken strong action against IndiGo, imposing a record fine of 2.45 million dollars and issuing warnings to top executives after widespread flight cancellations last month exposed serious operational lapses at the airline.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation moved after IndiGo cancelled nearly 4,500 flights in the first weeks of December, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded across the country. The disruption triggered public outrage and renewed concerns over the risks of heavy concentration in India’s rapidly growing aviation market.
IndiGo later acknowledged that poor pilot roster planning lay at the heart of the crisis. A detailed probe by the DGCA found that the airline failed to adjust adequately after stricter pilot duty and rest rules came into force last year. Regulators said the carrier did not properly identify planning gaps or build sufficient operational buffers to absorb routine shocks.
With a domestic market share of around 65 percent, IndiGo was found to have placed excessive emphasis on maximising the use of pilots, aircraft, and network capacity. The regulator concluded that this approach weakened roster stability and reduced the airline’s ability to manage disruptions, ultimately hurting operational resilience.
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
A government source said the penalty was the largest ever imposed by the aviation watchdog, though it represented only a small portion of the airline’s profit for the 2024–25 financial year.
The DGCA issued warnings to several senior officials, including the chief operating officer and the senior vice president in charge of the operations control centre. The regulator directed that the latter be removed from operational duties. IndiGo’s chief executive was also cautioned for lapses in overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management during the disruption.
As part of the enforcement action, the airline has been ordered to submit a bank guarantee of 5.51 million dollars to ensure compliance with regulatory directives and support long-term corrective measures. IndiGo said its board and management would take note of the regulator’s orders and implement corrective steps in a timely and considered manner.
The episode has also prompted wider introspection. The aviation ministry has ordered an internal inquiry into the functioning of the DGCA itself. During the crisis, authorities temporarily eased certain night-duty rules for pilots to stabilise operations, a move that drew criticism from pilot unions and safety advocates.
