Regulators turned up the heat on IndiGo late Saturday, issuing a scathing show-cause notice to Chief Executive Pieter Elbers and the airline’s accountable manager. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) accuses the management of ‘lapses in planning, oversight and resource management’ that violated Aircraft Rules and left passengers without ‘requisite facilities’.
The notice gives IndiGo 24 hours to explain why enforcement action—including fines and possible schedule curtailment—should not follow. Separately, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has instructed the carrier to clear ‘all pending passenger refunds’ for cancelled flights by 8 pm on Sunday, 7 December. Airlines have also been told to waive rescheduling fees for disrupted customers.
![DGCA serves show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO, orders full refunds by 7 December]()
IndiGo says it has processed over 250,000 refunds since 3 December and is working ‘around the clock’ to contact affected travellers; however, consumer forums report social-media complaints about long call-centre queues and inconsistent voucher offers.
For corporate mobility managers, the mandate provides legal backing to recover out-of-policy expenses incurred when employees bought last-minute tickets on other carriers. Firms should record PNRs and receipts promptly, as airlines may set hard refund-application deadlines.
Analysts note that India’s aviation regulator has historically been criticised for light-touch economic oversight. The tough language in the notice signals a shift toward passenger-rights enforcement akin to EU261, a development multinational mobility teams will want to track.
The notice gives IndiGo 24 hours to explain why enforcement action—including fines and possible schedule curtailment—should not follow. Separately, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has instructed the carrier to clear ‘all pending passenger refunds’ for cancelled flights by 8 pm on Sunday, 7 December. Airlines have also been told to waive rescheduling fees for disrupted customers.
IndiGo says it has processed over 250,000 refunds since 3 December and is working ‘around the clock’ to contact affected travellers; however, consumer forums report social-media complaints about long call-centre queues and inconsistent voucher offers.
For corporate mobility managers, the mandate provides legal backing to recover out-of-policy expenses incurred when employees bought last-minute tickets on other carriers. Firms should record PNRs and receipts promptly, as airlines may set hard refund-application deadlines.
Analysts note that India’s aviation regulator has historically been criticised for light-touch economic oversight. The tough language in the notice signals a shift toward passenger-rights enforcement akin to EU261, a development multinational mobility teams will want to track.
