Last Updated:January 19, 2026, 19:08 IST

DGCA on Saturday slapped penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore on IndiGo for the massive flight disruptions in December, and warned CEO Pieter Elbers for non-compliance

The penalties are one of the biggest imposed by the regulator on any airline for flight disruptions, while other regulatory actions are also unprecedented.

A total of 61% airline travellers do not believe the penalty imposed and disciplinary action taken against IndiGo is sufficient for the FDTL non-compliance and the related passenger disruption, LocalCircles survey has found.

The survey asked airline travellers, “The government has imposed a total penalty of INR 22.2 crores on IndiGo and asked to relieve a senior VP level employee for the disruption it caused in early December and its non compliance to norms. Do you believe this is sufficient?”

Of the 31,196 who responded to the question, 61% indicated “absolutely not”; 21% of respondents indicated “yes, it is totally apt”; and 18% of respondents did not give a clear answer.

The fine imposed on IndiGo

Airlines regulator DGCA on Saturday slapped penalties totalling Rs 22.20 crore for the massive flight disruptions in December, and warned CEO Pieter Elbers and two other senior executives for non-compliance.

It also directed the airline to furnish Rs 50-crore bank guarantee to ensure long-term systemic corrections.

Between December 3 and 5, the DGCA said, 2,507 flights were cancelled and 1,852 flights were delayed, impacting over 3 lakh passengers at airports across the country.

Announcing the enforcement actions after the detailed probe, DGCA cited over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, along with deficiencies in system software support as among primary reasons for the disruptions.

Shortcomings in management structure and operational control at IndiGo were also blamed.

The penalties are one of the biggest imposed by the regulator on any airline for flight disruptions, while other regulatory actions are also unprecedented.

IndiGo, in a statement, said it is “in receipt of the orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India” on the flight disruptions.

“.. the Board and the Management of IndiGo are committed to taking full cognizance of the orders and will, in a thoughtful and timely manner, take appropriate measures,” the airline said in the statement.

Additionally, it said, an “in-depth review” of the robustness and resilience of the internal processes at IndiGo has been underway since the disruptions to ensure that the airline emerges stronger out of these events”.

In early December, IndiGo cancelled hundreds of flights across the country as the airline was not adequately prepared to implement the new flight duty norms for pilots.

Last month, the airline was provided relaxation till February 10 to comply with the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.

The DGCA has imposed a total penalty of Rs 20.40 crore for the non-compliance for 68 days from December 5, 2025 to February 10, 2026. The amount translates to Rs 30 lakh fine for each day during the period.

“In addition to individual enforcement actions, a one-time financial penalty (on six counts) is imposed on M/s IndiGo Airlines for non-compliance with directions issued under Rule 133A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937,” the DGCA said in a statement.

While the regulator imposed a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh for the airline’s “failure to establish and effectively implement a scheme for compliance with limits of Flight Time, Flight Duty Period, Duty Period and Rest Periods; inadequate buffer margins in roster planning”, another Rs 30-lakh financial penalty has been slapped for “failure of accountable management to ensure overall functioning, financing, and conduct of operations to DGCA standards, as per the statement.

Similarly, Rs 30-lakh financial penalty has been imposed for “improper delegation and exercise of operational control responsibilities contrary to approved methods” while a financial penalty of Rs 30 lakh has been imposed for “failure of accountable management to ensure overall functioning, financing, and conduct of operations to DGCA standards”.

With PTI Inputs

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