IndiGo Airlines will begin compensating passengers from December 26 following major flight cancellations and delays in early December, with estimates suggesting over Rs 375 crore may be paid to around 3.8 lakh affected travellers across India.
IndiGo to provide compensation from December 26.
New Delhi: IndiGo Airlines, India’s largest carrier, is preparing to compensate passengers affected by one of its most severe operational disruptions earlier this month. Between December 2 and December 10, the airline cancelled over 5,000 flights and many others faced long delays, leaving lakhs of travellers stranded and frustrated. Following recent instructions from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the compensation process is scheduled to start from December 26. Estimates indicate that the airline may have to pay around Rs 376 crore to nearly 3.8 lakh impacted passengers.
Under the government directive, passengers affected between December 3 and December 5 will receive immediate relief. IndiGo will issue a Rs 10,000 travel voucher to each customer who was severely stranded at airports for extended hours. In addition to the travel vouchers, cash compensation ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 will also be provided, depending on the severity of disruption and inconvenience faced during their journey.
Passengers who booked tickets directly through IndiGo’s website are likely to receive compensation within a week. The airline already has their details, making the process faster and more efficient. For passengers who booked through travel agents or online platforms, IndiGo has been instructed to coordinate with these agencies to collect relevant passenger information. Compensation for this group is expected to commence shortly.
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The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure that every eligible passenger receives due compensation. The ministry will monitor the process through its AirSewa portal, tracking progress and addressing complaints. The step aims to ensure transparency and timely resolution of grievances, giving affected flyers a clear channel for redressal.
This move underscores the government’s focus on passenger rights and the enforcement of airline accountability. The mass compensation effort reflects the scale of the disruption faced by travellers and IndiGo’s responsibility to restore trust. By combining travel vouchers with cash payments, authorities aim to balance immediate relief with financial compensation for inconvenience.
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The operational disruption affected thousands of domestic and connecting flights across India, leaving significant gaps in travel plans during the first ten days of December. With nearly 3.8 lakh passengers impacted, the compensation exercise represents one of the largest airline redressal efforts in recent times, highlighting the challenges of large-scale aviation management in peak travel periods.
