January 17, 2026 : The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo following widespread flight delays and cancellations in early December last year.
Between December 3 and December 5, the airline cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed another 1,852, leaving more than three lakh passengers stranded across multiple airports and causing significant disruption to travel plans.
The penalty follows a detailed inquiry conducted by a four-member committee constituted by the DGCA to examine the circumstances that led to the operational breakdown. Based on the committee’s findings, the regulator imposed a one-time systemic penalty of ₹1.80 crore for multiple violations of Civil Aviation Requirements. In addition, a daily penalty of ₹30 lakh was levied for 68 days from December 5 to February 10, amounting to ₹20.40 crore.
The inquiry concluded that the disruptions were primarily caused by over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, and weaknesses in management structure and operational control. The committee found that IndiGo’s management failed to properly identify planning gaps, maintain adequate operational buffers, and effectively implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the committee also noted that the airline placed excessive emphasis on maximising the utilisation of crew, aircraft, and network resources. This approach significantly reduced roster buffer margins, compromised roster integrity, and weakened the airline’s ability to withstand operational stress, ultimately impacting overall resilience.
