Cooperating with DGCA over December disruption; will expand on international routes: IndiGo

Nearly a month after a major operational disruption disrupted flights across its network, IndiGo says it is fully cooperating with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the regulator reviews the episode that left thousands of passengers stranded between December 3-5. The airline has since restored normal operations and is examining internal processes as part of efforts to prevent a recurrence.

Even as the DGCA review continues, India’s largest airline is pressing ahead with its international expansion plans. IndiGo is set to launch non-stop services to Athens in January 2026, marking the international debut of the Airbus A321XLR by an Indian carrier. The aircraft’s extended range will allow the airline to open new medium- to long-haul routes directly from India, expanding its reach into markets that were previously not commercially viable with narrow-body aircraft.

The Athens service will add to IndiGo’s growing European footprint, following the launch of long-haul operations to Manchester, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and London in 2025. Those routes were introduced using wide-body Boeing 787-9 aircraft inducted through a partnership with Norse Atlantic Airways, a key step in IndiGo’s strategy to transition from a predominantly short-haul operator to a carrier with global scale.

The December disruption, which led to mass flight cancellations and schedule instability, is under regulatory scrutiny. IndiGo has said it is providing all information sought by the DGCA’s committee reviewing the incident. The airline has also publicly apologised to customers affected by the disruption.

In the weeks following the episode, IndiGo took steps aimed at stabilising operations and addressing internal workforce concerns. InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the airline’s parent company, decided to increase pilot allowances across duty types, with the revised structure set to take effect from January 1, 2026. 

The revised allowances include an increase in domestic layover payments, with captains’ allowances rising from Rs 2,000 to Rs ,000 for a 10-24-hour period, while first officers’ allowances have been raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. Deadhead allowances for scheduled blocks have also been revised upward, with captains now receiving Rs 4,000, up from Rs 3,000, and first officers Rs 2,000, compared with Rs 1,500 earlier. Deadhead allowance refers to compensation paid to pilots when they travel as passengers to position themselves for duty or return home.

Despite the disruption, IndiGo expects to close calendar year 2025 having flown more than 123 million passengers, reinforcing its position among the world’s top airlines by passenger volume. The airline operated an average of over 2,200 flights a day during the year, maintaining industry-leading on-time performance for much of the period, as stated in it's year ender official release.