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New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a heavy financial penalty and ordered sweeping corrective measures against IndiGo after an investigation found serious lapses in flight operations, crew management and regulatory compliance following large-scale disruptions in December 2025.
According to the DGCA’s investigation report, IndiGo indulged in excessive “optimisation” of operations without ensuring adequate backup for crew and aircraft. The regulator found that the airline failed to properly implement revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules and flagged serious shortcomings in software systems and management processes.
The report said excessive pressure was placed on flight crew, with repeated attempts to maximise duty hours through practices such as dead-heading, tail swaps and prolonged duty periods, leaving very little time for rest and recovery.
Taking strict action, the DGCA issued a caution to the CEO of IndiGo for inadequate overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management. The COO, who is also the Accountable Manager, has been warned for failing to assess the impact of the Winter Schedule 2025 and the revised FDTL norms, which led to widespread operational disruptions.
The Senior Vice President (Operations Control Centre) has been warned and directed to be relieved of all current operational responsibilities, with instructions that he should not be assigned any accountable position, citing failures in systemic planning and the timely implementation of revised rules.
Warnings have also been issued to the Deputy Head–Flight Operations, AVP–Crew Resource Planning, and Director–Flight Operations for lapses related to operations, supervision, manpower planning and roster management. The airline has been directed to take action against any other personnel identified through its internal inquiry and submit a compliance report to the DGCA.
On the financial front, the regulator imposed penalties for multiple violations. IndiGo has been fined ₹30 lakh each in six cases, totalling ₹1.80 crore, and an additional ₹20.40 crore for non-compliance over 68 consecutive days, calculated at ₹30 lakh per day. The total penalty stands at ₹22.20 crore. The DGCA has also ordered the airline to furnish a ₹50 crore bank guarantee.
Under the IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme, the bank guarantee amount will be released in a phased manner once the airline completes mandated corrective measures. The DGCA has directed IndiGo to focus on leadership accountability, manpower planning, strengthening digital systems, and enhancing board-level oversight.
Responding to the DGCA’s orders, the Board of Directors of InterGlobe Aviation said it had received the regulator’s directions concerning the incidents that led to significant operational disruptions in early December 2025. In a statement issued on January 17, 2026, the board said IndiGo’s leadership and management are fully committed to understanding the orders in their entirety and will take considered and appropriate corrective actions.
The board added that a comprehensive review of the robustness and resilience of IndiGo’s internal processes has been underway since the disruption, aimed at ensuring that the airline emerges stronger, in line with its more than 19 years of operational track record. It reiterated that IndiGo remains committed to serving the needs of India and its people and to playing a role in the country’s goal of emerging as a global aviation major by 2030.
The DGCA has asked the airline to ensure strict compliance with aviation safety norms and crew welfare regulations going forward.
The action follows major operational failures between 3 and 5 December 2025, when 2,507 IndiGo flights were cancelled, 1,852 flights were delayed, and over three lakh passengers were affected nationwide.
The probe was initiated after the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) directed the DGCA to investigate the disruptions. A four-member inquiry committee was subsequently constituted, and its findings have now been made public.
