India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on 6 December fired a rare personal show-cause notice at IndiGo chief executive Pieter Elbers and the airline’s accountable manager, accusing them of “failing in their duty” to ensure reliable operations and adequate passenger care during the ongoing disruption that has crippled the carrier’s network. The notice demands a detailed explanation within 24 hours or face enforcement under the Aircraft Rules, which could include financial penalties and curbs on future slot allocations.
In a parallel move the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed IndiGo to clear every pending passenger refund by 20:00 IST on Sunday, 7 December, and to waive all re-booking fees for affected itineraries. Dedicated refund-facilitation desks must be manned at major airports, and mishandled baggage is to be traced and delivered within 48 hours.
![DGCA serves 24-hour show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO, orders refunds cleared by 7 December]()
The regulator’s hard-line stance reflects mounting political pressure after videos of stranded passengers sleeping on airport floors and missing weddings went viral. For global-mobility teams, the order offers a fast-track path to recover costs: finance departments should reconcile open expense claims linked to IndiGo flights and file refund requests immediately using PNR and GST invoice details.
Policy-wise, the notice is a signal that DGCA will hold accountable managers—and not just airline entities—liable for operational failures, aligning India with ICAO’s safety-management-system philosophy. Expect carriers to bolster crisis-command centres and increase buffer crew to avoid similar fiascos when the next roster change occurs.
Assignees and business travellers booked on IndiGo through mid-December should monitor flight status hourly; DGCA’s four-member review panel will publish interim findings by 15 December, potentially leading to fresh slot re-allocations that can reshuffle departure times.
In a parallel move the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed IndiGo to clear every pending passenger refund by 20:00 IST on Sunday, 7 December, and to waive all re-booking fees for affected itineraries. Dedicated refund-facilitation desks must be manned at major airports, and mishandled baggage is to be traced and delivered within 48 hours.
The regulator’s hard-line stance reflects mounting political pressure after videos of stranded passengers sleeping on airport floors and missing weddings went viral. For global-mobility teams, the order offers a fast-track path to recover costs: finance departments should reconcile open expense claims linked to IndiGo flights and file refund requests immediately using PNR and GST invoice details.
Policy-wise, the notice is a signal that DGCA will hold accountable managers—and not just airline entities—liable for operational failures, aligning India with ICAO’s safety-management-system philosophy. Expect carriers to bolster crisis-command centres and increase buffer crew to avoid similar fiascos when the next roster change occurs.
Assignees and business travellers booked on IndiGo through mid-December should monitor flight status hourly; DGCA’s four-member review panel will publish interim findings by 15 December, potentially leading to fresh slot re-allocations that can reshuffle departure times.
