IndiGo chaos: DGCA grants final 24-hour extension to airline CEO to respond to show-cause notice

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given IndiGo’s Accountable Manager and Chief Executive Officer a one-time 24-hour extension to respond to the show-cause notice issued on December 6, tightening scrutiny over the country’s largest airline as it struggles to recover from one of its worst operational breakdowns in years. 

The regulator said the relaxed deadline — now set for 6 pm on Monday, December 8 — is a single exception, warning that if IndiGo fails to file a “complete and comprehensive” reply, it will proceed with ex-parte action based solely on available records. 

The original 24-hour notice, served on Saturday, came after thousands of passengers were stranded across major airports, with flights cancelled, delayed, or operating without adequate communication. The DGCA held IndiGo’s top management responsible, flagging “significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management” that led to the week-long nationwide disruption. 

In its statement, the regulator noted that the two designated functionaries had requested more time on December 7, citing operational constraints linked to the scale of IndiGo’s network and the multiple factors that contributed to cascading delays. “After reviewing the request, DGCA has extended the deadline only until 1800 hrs on 08 December 2025, with a clear direction that no further extensions will be permitted,” it said. 

Even as regulatory pressure mounts, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers told employees on December 7 that the airline is “getting back” after five consecutive days of mass cancellations and delays. Speaking from the operational control centre, he said IndiGo expects to operate around 1,650 flights today, a sharp improvement from the lows earlier in the week. 

According to Elbers, On-Time Performance (OTP) is expected to reach 75 percent on Sunday. “Today, we have realised further improvements of the system in order to reach around 1,650 flights,” he said, adding that “step by step, we are getting back.” 

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed that IndiGo has processed ₹610 crore in passenger refunds so far, as disruptions continue to ripple across the network. The ministry has instructed the airline to ensure that all separated baggage is traced and delivered within 48 hours. As of Saturday, 3,000 bags had been returned to passengers nationwide, with continuous communication mandated throughout.