Who Qualifies for IndiGo's Rs 10,000 Travel Vouchers After Mass Cancellations?

IndiGo, India's largest carrier, has expanded its compensation program for passengers. This follows a major IndiGo flight cancellations December 2025 crisis. The airline is offering a Rs 10,000 travel voucher to those most affected. This “gesture of care” is aimed at severely impacted passengers who were stranded. IndiGo is now clarifying who is eligible for this additional benefit.

Who Is Eligible for the IndiGo Rs 10,000 Travel Voucher?

The airline confirmed the expansion of its IndiGo Rs 10,000 travel voucher program. It targets the period of peak disruption. This move is part of the broader IndiGo passenger compensation effort.

Eligibility Criteria

Travel Window: Passengers must have been traveling between noon on December 3 and the end of day on December 5. This was the most severe period of the Airline operational crisis India.
Impact Severity: The voucher applies only to customers on flights identified by IndiGo as severely disrupted. This means they were stranded or heavily impacted at airports for prolonged periods.

This voucher is in addition to the mandatory compensation. The existing DGCA rules mandate compensation ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 for flights cancelled within 24 hours of departure. The Rs 10,000 voucher is an extra measure of goodwill.

Accessing the Compensation: Timeline and Process

IndiGo is managing the distribution process directly to ensure customers receive their benefit. The aviation regulatory oversight is closely monitoring this rollout.

Direct Bookings: IndiGo will contact eligible customers directly, starting from December 26.
Agent Bookings: For tickets purchased through travel agents or apps, IndiGo is coordinating to get contact details. The airline will then contact the customer directly to issue the voucher.
Claim Submission: A dedicated webpage will go live on January 1. Customers who believe they are eligible but have not been contacted can submit their journey details for review.

The voucher is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. It can be used for any future IndiGo journey.

The Root Cause: FDTL Rules and Regulatory Response

The mass cancellations stemmed from an acute operational crisis. The core issue was IndiGo's failure to adequately adjust its schedule to new DGCA flight duty time rules. These new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules, implemented in November, required more rest for pilots. This change effectively required more pilots to operate the same schedule, which the airline had underestimated.

Regulatory Action and Industry Impact

This disruption drew immediate and strong regulatory attention. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the airline to take corrective action.

Schedule Cut: The DGCA directed IndiGo to implement a IndiGo winter schedule cut of 10%. This was done to stabilize operations and prevent further chaos.
Oversight: The DGCA has stationed teams at IndiGo's offices. They are submitting daily reports to monitor the recovery and operational metrics.
Market Share: As India's largest airline, with a domestic market share nearing 65%, the operational failure was magnified across the entire Indian aviation system.

This crisis highlights the critical importance of robust crew management systems. Airlines must plan for regulatory changes like Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) well in advance. For more commercial aviation news and updates on global flight operations, visit flying.flights.

Outlook for Passengers and IndiGo

While operations have largely stabilized, the financial and reputational fallout for IndiGo is significant. The total IndiGo passenger compensation is expected to be substantial, with one estimate suggesting the total payout for the additional vouchers alone could exceed ₹376 crore.

For affected passengers, the dual compensation—the mandatory refund/reimbursement plus the Rs 10,000 voucher—offers a path to recourse. The airline urges patience as the verification and outreach process unfolds with aviation regulatory oversight.