IndiGo crisis: Govt warns against abnormal airfare hikes, issues this order to IndiGo, flights remain cancelled on Saturday also
New Delhi: The government has instructed airlines not to increase airfares abnormally amid the "IndiGo crisis" and directed IndiGo to refund passengers for tickets for its cancelled flights by Sunday evening.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Saturday that it is aware that some airlines are taking advantage of IndiGo's flight cancellations and charging exorbitant fares. The ministry has fixed maximum fares for all routes affected by this unusual situation.
According to the release, a copy of the directive has been sent to all airlines. The ministry said that the maximum fare guidelines will remain in effect until flight operations return to normal.
The government is taking all necessary information and will monitor the situation in collaboration with airlines. The ministry has stated that "corrective action" will be taken if any irregularities are observed.
IndiGo told to issue full refunds to all affected passengers
The Ministry has directed IndiGo to issue full refunds to all affected passengers without delay. Refunds for canceled or affected flights have been directed to be completed by 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7, 2025. Any delay will result in regulatory action. Furthermore, passengers affected by the IndiGo crisis have been advised not to charge any rescheduling charges if they change their travel dates or times.
IndiGo has been directed to set up a separate cell to oversee refund processing. This cell will remain active until the situation returns to normal.
Airlines have been instructed to ensure that passengers who have checked in their baggage and subsequently have their flight cancelled or delayed have their baggage sent to their home or to the address provided by them.
The Ministry has directed to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience.
Several IndiGo flights remain cancelled on Saturday also
Several flights of private airline IndiGo were cancelled on Saturday as well. Sources said the airline has cancelled 106 flights at Delhi airport so far on Saturday. These include 54 departures and 52 arrivals.
At Ahmedabad airport, 19 flights were cancelled between 12 midnight and 6 am. These included 12 departures and seven arrivals.
Earlier, on Friday, IndiGo had cancelled over 1,000 flights across the country, while on December 4, nearly 400 flights were cancelled.
Since the implementation of new rules regarding mandatory rest and night duty for pilots on November 1, IndiGo's flight delays have been increasing, and by December, a significant number of cancellations began. Airlines have stated that they are canceling a significant number of flights for two to three days to rearrange flight schedules.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also granted partial relaxations to the new rules for a period of time.
In view of the significant inconvenience caused to passengers, the Central Government has constituted a four-member committee to investigate the entire matter, which will determine the causes and suggest measures to avoid such situations in the future.
Prakash Kumar Pandey