IndiGo Crisis Escalates: 586,000 Cancellations, 569.65 Crore Rupees Refunds & Baggage Mess Leave Passengers Frustrated

The airline’s operational failure on a nationwide scale has turned into one of the largest-ever crises in the Indian aviation sector. The airlines cancelled almost 586,000 bookings and issued 5,696.5 million rupees in refunds in just one week, and a large number of passengers got stuck, stressed, and looking for answers.

Refunds Spike as Cancellations Hit Record High

Mass cancellations of flights took place at the airline during the first week of December across all major airports. Travelling at the largest holiday period was unbearable with long lines, postponed flights, and lost luggage.

Even larger numbers can be derived if we zoom out further.

IndiGo processed refunds of 950,000 worth 8,270 million rupees from the period of November 21 to December 7, which is a clear indication of the severity of the impact on its operations.

Baggage Nightmare: Just Half of the Bags Returned Till Now

The baggage mess is still giving hard times to the missed passengers.

IndiGo has so far returned around 50% of the 9000 unclaimed bags, and the rest will be handed over in the next 36 hours as the airline has promised. However, many of the worried travelers are still anxious.

Flight Operations Show Signs of Slow Recovery

As per the Civil Aviation Bureau, IndiGo has scheduled 1,802 flights for December 8 covering 137 out of its 138 routes.

But still about 500 flights are slated for cancellation.

The airline, planning 1,650 flights on the previous day, has shown sign of slow recovery, indicating that the airline is getting closer to stability along with thousands of travelers still feeling the impact on the 7th day of the crisis.

Government Intervenes with Strict Directives

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has firmly intervened ordering IndiGo to:

Trace and deliver all luggage gone astray in 48 hours

Make amends to the passengers impacted

Safeguard and ensure only the highest service-quality and safety standards

Acting on the prompt, IndiGo has removed all charges for cancellation and rescheduling till 15th December, providing at least some relief to those intrepid by the Travel uncertainty.

What Triggered This Massive Breakdown?

Initially, the DGCA pointed to IndiGo’s poor preparation for the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) which increased weekly crew rest hours from 36 to 48 hours as the main culprit.

Later, the DGCA withdrew the policy due to the mounting chaos, but the operational disruption was already out of control.

When Will Things Get Back To Normal?

IndiGo asserts that it will achieve complete operational normalcy by December 10, latest.

Baggage backlog cleared, crew schedules re-adjusted, and the full flight roster restored are the tasks that teams are reportedly working on even at night.

For now, passengers are counting on the airline to fulfil its promise and thus the crisis will not be prolonged.