'IndiGo being held accountable': Ram Mohan Naidu says passengers got refunds worth over ₹750 crore

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday told the Lok Sabha that IndiGo is being held accountable, adding that refunds are being made for flights cancelled between December 5 to 15.

Naidu mentioned that the government intervened and imposed fare caps to protect the passengers from being exploited financially. 

"Operations are stabilising fast, safety remains fully in force, IndiGo is being held accountable, passengers' convenience and dignity are being protected, and long-term measures are underway to make India's aviation sector more passenger-centric," Naidu told the Lok Sabha. 

He added that refunds worth over ₹750 crore have been issued so far, and the process of baggage handling is in the final stages. “IndiGo was ordered to issue refunds promptly, and as informed by them, more than ₹750 crore has already reached the passengers,” Naidu said in the lower house.

He further said that the airline did the rebookings with no extra charges. Furthermore, he said that IndiGo assured full compliance with the flight duty norms and confirmed its preparedness for the winter schedule, underlining that safety in civil aviation is completely non-negotiable.

He added that no airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardships for passengers through planning failures, non-compliance and non-adherence to norms. 

He noted that the government is determined to build a robust and competitive aviation ecosystem in the country, adding that it is encouraging new airlines to start and operate in India. The opposition parties, led by the Congress, staged a walkout after the Minister's statement on IndiGo disruptions. 

Moreover, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered IndiGo to slash its daily schedule by 5 per cent. It also directed the airline to share its revised schedule by 5 pm on December 10. 

“IndiGo has not demonstrated the ability to operate its schedules efficiently,” the DGCA order said. It added that 64,346 flights were approved for IndiGo in November, but the airline flew only 59,438 flights, cancelling 951 flights.