DGCA Imposes ₹22.2 Crore Fine on IndiGo for December Flight Disruptions

Regulatory Action Follows Widespread Disruptions

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a substantial penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo, India's largest airline, following a detailed inquiry into widespread flight disruptions that occurred in early December 2025. The regulatory body also issued stern warnings to senior management, including CEO Pieter Elbers, and mandated a ₹50 crore bank guarantee to ensure systemic improvements.

The disruptions, primarily between December 3 and 5, 2025, led to the cancellation of 2,507 flights and delays for another 1,852 flights, affecting over 300,000 passengers across the country.

Key Findings of the Inquiry

A four-member committee, constituted by the DGCA at the behest of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), conducted a thorough review of IndiGo's operations. The inquiry identified several critical lapses, including:

• Over-optimisation of operations and an excessive focus on maximizing the utilization of crew, aircraft, and network resources.
• Inadequate regulatory preparedness and deficiencies in planning software and management oversight.
• Failure to maintain adequate operational buffers and effectively implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
• Compromised roster integrity and adversely impacted operational resilience due to minimal recovery margins and reliance on extended duty patterns.
• Failure to strike a balance between commercial imperatives and crew members' ability to work effectively.

The penalty comprises a ₹1.80 crore one-time systemic fine for multiple violations of Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs), and an additional ₹20.40 crore for continued non-compliance over 68 days (from December 5, 2025, to February 10, 2026), calculated at ₹30 lakh per day.

Management Warnings and Future Compliance

Beyond the financial penalty, the DGCA has taken direct action against IndiGo's leadership. CEO Pieter Elbers received a caution for 'inadequate overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management.' COO Isidre Porqueras was warned for failing to assess the impact of the Winter schedule and revised FDTL norms, while Jason Herter, Senior Vice President of Operations Control Centre, was directed to be relieved of his operational duties.

IndiGo has been instructed to furnish a ₹50 crore bank guarantee to the DGCA. This guarantee is tied to the airline's implementation of reforms across four key areas: leadership and governance, manpower planning and fatigue-risk management, digital systems and operational resilience, and sustained board-level oversight. The sum will be released in phases upon DGCA's verification of these improvements.

IndiGo's Response

In response to the DGCA's orders, IndiGo has stated its commitment 'to taking full cognizance of the orders' and will 'in a thoughtful and timely manner, take appropriate measures.' The airline also indicated that an in-depth review of its internal processes has been underway since the disruption to enhance robustness and resilience.