IndiGo Cancellations Live: Airline Gets Extension Till 6 PM Monday to Reply to DGCA Notice

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday granted IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers additional time to respond to the show-cause notice issued a day earlier over the airline’s massive operational breakdown. IndiGo has been given until 6 pm on Monday to file its reply.

The extension comes as the airline continues to face widespread disruptions for the sixth consecutive day, operating 1,650 of its 2,300 daily domestic and international flights. Around 650 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone, even as the carrier said its operations were “gradually stabilising.”

Refunds, Baggage Processing

IndiGo has so far processed ₹610 crore in refunds for cancelled or heavily delayed flights and returned 3,000 pieces of baggage to passengers nationwide. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had directed the airline to clear refunds and baggage by 8 pm on Sunday.

Airport-Wise Cancellations

According to PTI, Sunday’s cancellations included:

• Hyderabad: 115 flights

• Mumbai: 112

• Delhi: 109

• Chennai: 38

• Amritsar: 11

Since Tuesday, the airline has cancelled over 2,000 flights, marking India’s worst aviation disruption in years.

DGCA Action and Government Intervention

The DGCA’s show-cause notice held the IndiGo CEO responsible for “significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management,” giving him 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not follow.

The civil aviation ministry has stepped in with multiple directives:

• All refunds for cancelled flights must be cleared by Sunday evening.

• Separated baggage must be returned to passengers within two days.

• Temporary fare caps have been imposed to curb soaring ticket prices as stranded travellers sought alternatives. These limits will remain until operations normalise.

IndiGo’s Response and Expected Stabilisation

IndiGo said it has set up a crisis management group and is implementing “significant and sustained improvements” across its network. The airline expects operations to stabilise by December 10.

The disruptions stemmed from the transition to the second phase of new flight duty and rest norms for pilots. The DGCA has since granted temporary relief, allowing pilots to operate six landings at night.

On Saturday, IndiGo operated 1,500 flights and said it had restored over 95% of its network connectivity, apologising once again for the chaos faced by passengers.