IndiGo will begin compensating passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations earlier this month starting December 26. The airline will issue travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 to flyers who were severely impacted and stranded at airports for several hours on December 3, 4 and 5, according to reports.
The vouchers will be provided in addition to the compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 mandated under government norms. The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha, where the government directed IndiGo to ensure that compensation reaches all eligible passengers without delay.
It was decided that payments for passengers who booked tickets directly through IndiGo’s website should begin within a week, as their details are already available with the airline. IndiGo has also been instructed to collect passenger information from travel agents and online travel agencies (OTAs) and ensure direct payments to affected customers.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with monitoring the disbursal of compensation, while the civil aviation ministry will oversee the process through its Air Seva grievance portal.
Although IndiGo has initiated refunds for cancelled flights, several passengers who booked through OTAs are yet to receive payments, highlighting coordination issues between airlines and booking platforms. MakeMyTrip has reportedly processed refunds worth nearly ₹10 crore so far following DGCA directions, even before receiving funds from IndiGo.
Earlier, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said the airline’s board would appoint external technical experts to work with the management and identify the root causes behind the recent large-scale flight disruptions. He added that the move aims to prevent such operational failures in the future.
Meanwhile, IndiGo stated that all destinations across its network have been fully reconnected since December 8 and that operations have stabilised from December 9.