New Delhi: In a strong directive to IndiGo Airlines, the Union Government has ordered that all refunds for cancelled flights must be completed by Sunday night, 8 PM. The warning comes after days of massive disruption in IndiGo’s flight operations, which left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also instructed the airline to ensure that all passenger baggage is returned within 48 hours.
With more than 1,000 IndiGo flights already cancelled, the crisis — triggered by an acute staff shortage — has now entered its fifth consecutive day. The Centre warned that any delay or failure to comply with the refund order by Sunday evening will result in strict action against the airline.
According to the ministry’s statement, the refund process for every cancelled or disrupted IndiGo flight must be fully completed by Sunday night. Airlines have also been directed not to charge rescheduling fees for passengers affected by the cancellations.
On Saturday alone, more than 400 flights were cancelled across various airports, worsening the travel chaos.
The government has also asked IndiGo to set up Passenger Support Cells and Refund Facilitation Cells to assist distressed travelers. These cells must ensure passengers are proactively contacted, and provided with refunds or alternative travel arrangements without delay.
Until operations return to normal, the automatic refund system will continue to remain active. The ministry further instructed IndiGo to locate all baggage collected from passengers and ensure that every bag is returned within the next 48 hours.
