As the IndiGo crisis shows signs of easing, the Civil Aviation Ministry on Sunday said the airline has so far processed refunds amounting to Rs 610 crore for passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations and delays. As of Saturday, around 3,000 pieces of baggage had also been returned to passengers across India.
In the last few days, hundreds of flights have been cancelled and delayed, causing hardships to thousands of passengers. The country's largest airline, which generally operates around 2,300 flights daily, on Saturday operated about 1,500 flights compared to little over 700 on Friday. According to IndiGo, 137 out of 138 destinations are in operation on December 7.
Current operational status
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by IndiGo's operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
Air travel operations across the country are stabilising at a fast pace as all other domestic airlines are operating smoothly and at full capacity, while IndiGo's performance has shown steady improvement today, with flight schedules moving back towards normal levels, they said.
"IndiGo's flight operations have increased from 706 on 05.12.25 to 1,565 on 06.12.25 and are likely to reach up to 1,650 by the end of today," it said.
Airfare regulation to prevent overcharging
In light of recent cancellations leading to a shift in demand and temporary surge in airfares, the Ministry intervened and introduced a cap on airfares with immediate effect. This measure ensures fairness and affordability for travellers. Since the implementation of this order, fare levels across affected routes have moderated to acceptable limits. All airlines have been instructed to comply strictly with the revised fare structure.
Passenger refunds and rescheduling support
To ensure financial protection for passengers, the Ministry issued strict directives to IndiGo requiring that all refunds for cancelled or severely delayed flights be completed by 8:00 PM today. IndiGo has so far processed refunds totalling Rs 610 crore. No additional fees are permitted for rescheduling travel impacted by cancellations. Dedicated support cells have been created to proactively assist passengers so that refund and rebooking issues are resolved without delay or inconvenience.
Baggage reconciliation and delivery
The Ministry has also instructed IndiGo to trace and deliver all baggage separated from passengers due to disruptions within 48 hours. Continuous communication is mandated throughout the process. With this push, IndiGo has successfully delivered 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers across India as of yesterday.
Airport operations and on-ground facilitation
Airport Directors from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Goa have confirmed normal conditions across terminals today. Passenger movement remains smooth with no crowding at check-in, security, or boarding points. On-ground support has been strengthened through enhanced monitoring and timely deployment of assistance by airport operators and CISF.
Real-time monitoring and control measures
The MoCA’s 24×7 Control Room continues to function as an integrated coordination hub, overseeing flight operations, airport conditions, and passenger support requirements. Passenger calls are being promptly attended to, with necessary assistance as required. Our teams remain deployed on the ground to supervise operational planning, crew rostering, and passenger handling standards, ensuring full compliance.
Step by step, we are getting back: IndiGo CEO
Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Sunday said the airline will be operating around 1,650 flights on Sunday and "step by step, we are getting back". Elbers, in an internal video message to the staff, said the airline's On Time Performance (OTP) is expected to be 75 per cent on Sunday.
"Today, we have realised further improvements of the system in order to reach around 1,650 flights," he said.
"We have been able to execute the cancellations at an earlier stage so that the customers do not show up at the airport in case their flights are cancelled," the CEO said.