IndiGo starts ₹10,000 compensation payouts for December flight disruptions

December 20, 2025 at 05:12 AM•2 min read

IndiGo starts compensating passengers next week with ₹10,000 vouchers after widespread flight disruptions in December.

Key Points

1IndiGo will begin issuing ₹10,000 travel vouchers starting December 26, compensating passengers severely impacted by the widespread flight disruptions earlier this month.
2Over 380,000 passengers are estimated to be eligible for the vouchers, potentially pushing the total compensation cost beyond ₹376 crore.
3The Indian DGCA and the Air Seva portal will monitor IndiGo's payout process, addressing coordination gaps, particularly with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).

IndiGo, India's largest carrier, is set to begin compensating over 380,000 passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations earlier this month, following a directive from the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry. The decision, made during a high-level review chaired by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha, mandates that IndiGo start issuing payments from December 26. Severely impacted passengers who were stranded for several hours during the peak disruption period of December 3, 4, and 5 will receive travel vouchers worth ₹10,000. This is in addition to the standard regulatory compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 already required under Indian government norms. With 2,507 domestic and international services cancelled during those three days alone, the total compensation payout is estimated to exceed ₹376 crore, excluding payments for delayed flights.

The compensation process prioritizes passengers who booked directly through IndiGo ’s website, as their data is readily available. The airline has also been instructed to actively collect passenger details from travel agents and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to ensure direct payments to all eligible customers. The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with monitoring the distribution to ensure every eligible passenger receives their due compensation. Furthermore, the Civil Aviation Ministry will utilize its Air Seva grievance redressal portal to track pending complaints and address delays in the payout process.

A significant hurdle remains in the coordination between the airline and OTAs regarding full refunds. While IndiGo asserts it has processed full refunds without deductions, many passengers who booked via third-party platforms are still awaiting final credit, citing gaps in the transfer process between OTAs, banks, and payment systems. The DGCA previously directed all OTAs to provide full refunds without deductions. Some major platforms, like MakeMyTrip, have already processed nearly ₹10 crore in refunds to customers, even before receiving the funds from IndiGo, attempting to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the massive disruption period that saw 4,354 IndiGo flights cancelled between December 1 and 9.