IndiGo chaos continues: Around 500 flights cancelled with Delhi, Bengaluru facing heaviest losses- Top points

IndiGo's flight cancellation spree continued as the fiasco entered its second week, with around 500 flights grounded on Tuesday. Delhi and Bengaluru bore the heaviest losses, with 152 and 121 cancellations, respectively. Additional cancellations were noted in Chennai (81), Hyderabad (58), Mumbai (31), Lucknow (26), and Ahmedabad (16).

The cancellations came as India's Civil Aviation Ministry said IndiGo’s winter flight schedule would be trimmed, with unused slots redistributed to other carriers as the country’s largest airline grapples with a widespread operational meltdown. The ministry also plans a review with senior officials from all operating airlines later today.

Officials briefed on the matter indicated that the meeting will focus on preventing a recurrence of disruptions similar to IndiGo’s current issues.

Ram Mohan Naidu on the fiasco

During an appearance on Doordarshan on Monday evening, Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu announced the plan to reallocate IndiGo’s winter slots to other carriers. He also reported that 6,000 of the 9,000 stranded bags have been delivered, with the remainder expected to reach travellers by Tuesday morning.

Naidu tweeted that a high-level crisis review had been convened on Monday night, directing senior officials to inspect airport operations and passenger services, with any gaps, particularly those highlighted by travellers, to be addressed immediately.

According to sources, today’s MoCA gathering at Rajiv Bhavan will examine IndiGo’s operations, including passenger load, customer service, and the refund process, as well as the carrier’s strategy to resume full operations. The meeting is also expected to discuss the implementation of airfare caps and to record concerns raised by other airlines.

To monitor the situation, the ministry has deployed 10 officials to various airports, who will remain on-site for 2–3 days to assist passengers.

IndiGo’s top executives summoned

The DGCA’s High-Level Committee has summoned IndiGo’s top executives, including Chief Executive Pieter Elbers, to appear on Wednesday. The inquiry panel consists of four members.

IndiGo has responded to a show-cause notice with an apology for the inconvenience caused, attributing the crisis to a “confluence of multiple factors” that was unforeseen. The airline requested additional time to conduct a detailed root-cause analysis.

In its latest update, IndiGo said progress toward full recovery continues and reaffirmed its commitment to customer support and query resolution on an accelerated basis. The carrier noted several internal processes have been expedited.

Refunds and compensations

From December 1 to 7, IndiGo coordinated more than 9,500 hotel rooms and nearly 10,000 taxis and buses for stranded passengers. It also reported that over 4,500 misplaced bags have been returned, with the remainder expected within 36 hours.

A Delhi High Court petition, slated for hearing on Wednesday, seeks government directions to provide essential facilities to stranded passengers and calls for an independent judicial probe into the disruptions. The petition also urges a mechanism to curb any surge in airfares and for the findings to be made public.