IndiGo Announces ₹500 Crore Payout for Stranded Passengers Amid Flight Disruption Crisis

IndiGo will pay over ₹500 crore in compensation to passengers severely affected by recent mass flight cancellations. The airline made the announcement on Friday, December 12. This move follows government intervention last week after thousands of flights were grounded.

Operations have now stabilized. The budget carrier is currently running more than 2,000 daily flights. Its immediate focus is refunding and compensating customers left stranded at airports.

Compensation Targets Passengers Stranded at Airports

The substantial compensation fund is specifically for “severely affected” customers. IndiGo defines this group as those whose flights were cancelled within 24 hours of departure. It also includes travelers who were stranded at airports across the country on December 3, 4, and 5.

The airline stated its goal is to make the refund process transparent and hassle-free. It is currently identifying all impacted customers from the peak disruption days. According to the statement, the carrier will reach out to those eligible in January to facilitate smooth compensation.

Operations Stabilize as Independent Review Begins

Despite the stabilization, disruptions continued last Friday. Sources told PTI that IndiGo cancelled 159 flights from Delhi and Bengaluru that day. The airline, however, said it was operating according to a revised, scaled-down schedule.

Concurrently, IndiGo’s board has initiated an independent review. It appointed veteran aviation expert Captain John Illson of Chief Aviation Advisors LLC to conduct a root-cause analysis. This expert will assess the factors that led to the operational collapse and report directly to the board.

The ₹500 crore compensation package marks one of the largest customer payouts in recent Indian aviation history. It underscores the severe impact of the IndiGo flight cancellations and the airline’s effort to rebuild passenger trust.

Info at your fingertips

Who is eligible for the ₹500 crore IndiGo compensation?

Eligibility targets passengers whose flights were cancelled within 24 hours of departure. It also specifically includes travelers who were severely stranded at airports on December 3, 4, and 5.

How will affected passengers receive their compensation?

IndiGo says it is identifying all eligible customers from the disruption period. The airline will reach out to them directly in January to process the compensation smoothly.

Are IndiGo’s flight operations back to normal now?

Operations have stabilized from the peak crisis. The airline operated over 2,000 flights last Friday, adhering to a revised, scaled-down schedule, though some cancellations continue.

What is being done to prevent future disruptions?

IndiGo’s board has appointed an independent aviation expert, Captain John Illson, to conduct a root-cause analysis. His review will assess the factors behind the recent failures.

What happened to cause so many IndiGo cancellations?

The cancellations were due to multiple operational reasons. These included challenges in complying with newer amendments to pilot duty time rules, according to reports.I