IndiGo to start compensating passengers for flight disruptions next week

IndiGo will start compensating passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations earlier this month from next week, following directions from the civil aviation ministry, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The decision was taken during a high-level review chaired by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha. The government has asked the airline to ensure that payments reach all eligible passengers without further delay.

IndiGo will begin issuing travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 from December 26 to passengers who were severely impacted and stranded at airports for several hours on December 3, 4 and 5. This will be over and above compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, as mandated under government norms.

Who will receive compensation first?

The report cited officials saying that compensation payments should begin within a week for passengers who booked tickets directly through IndiGo’s website, as their data is already available with the airline. IndiGo has also been instructed to collect passenger details from travel agents and online travel agencies (OTAs) and ensure that payments are made directly to affected customers.

How will the DGCA and Air Seva monitor payouts?

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with ensuring that every eligible passenger receives compensation. The civil aviation ministry will monitor the process through its Air Seva grievance redressal portal to address pending complaints and delays.

While IndiGo has initiated refunds for cancelled flights, many passengers who booked through OTAs are still waiting for payments, highlighting coordination gaps between airlines, booking platforms and banks.

Some passengers have reported that although refunds were initiated by the airline, OTAs have not completed the process required for banks to reverse payments or credit card reward points. IndiGo executives said the airline has issued full refunds without any deductions and that OTAs are responsible for transferring the amounts to passengers.

Leading online travel platforms such as MakeMyTrip had already begun issuing refunds even before receiving payments from IndiGo, an Economic Times report said. The platform has processed refunds worth nearly ₹10 crore so far. The DGCA last week directed all online travel agencies to provide full refunds to passengers without any deductions.

How will the DGCA and Air Seva monitor payouts?

Between December 1 and 9, IndiGo cancelled 4,354 flights. Of these, 2,507 flights, including 2,456 domestic and 51 international services, were cancelled on December 3, 4 and 5 alone. Based on an average of 150 passengers per flight, over 380,000 passengers may be eligible for vouchers, pushing the total compensation beyond ₹376 crore, excluding payouts for delayed flights.