India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on January 17 imposed penalties amounting to ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo Airlines following widespread flight disruptions in December. The regulator also issued warnings to CEO Pieter Elbers and two other senior executives for violations of regulatory norms.
In a strong compliance push, the DGCA has further directed the airline to submit a ₹50-crore bank guarantee aimed at ensuring long-term systemic reforms and adherence to its directives.
According to the regulator, between December 3 and 5, IndiGo cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed another 1,852, affecting more than three lakh passengers across airports nationwide.
Announcing the enforcement action after a detailed investigation, the DGCA pointed to over-optimisation of operations, poor regulatory preparedness, and shortcomings in system software support as key factors behind the disruption. Deficiencies in management structure and operational control were also highlighted.
The penalties rank among the highest ever imposed by the DGCA for flight disruptions, while the accompanying corrective measures are being seen as unprecedented.
Responding to the order, IndiGo said it has received the DGCA’s directives and that its board and management are committed to complying with them. The airline added that an internal review of operational robustness and resilience has been underway since the disruptions to ensure it emerges stronger.
The large-scale cancellations in early December followed IndiGo’s failure to adequately prepare for the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots. The airline was later granted relaxation until February 10 to implement the new rules.
The DGCA imposed a penalty of ₹20.40 crore for non-compliance over a 68-day period from December 5, 2025 to February 10, 2026, calculated at ₹30 lakh per day. In addition, a one-time financial penalty was imposed on six counts under Rule 133A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Separate fines of ₹30 lakh each were levied for failure to effectively implement flight time and rest compliance systems, inadequate buffer margins in crew rostering, improper delegation of operational control responsibilities, and lapses by accountable management in ensuring DGCA-compliant operations. IndiGo Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras is the airline’s designated Accountable Manager.
The regulator has also directed IndiGo to pledge a ₹50-crore bank guarantee under the IndiGo Systemic Reform Assurance Scheme (ISRAS). The guarantee will be released in phases, linked to DGCA-verified implementation of reforms across four areas—leadership and governance, manpower planning and fatigue-risk management, digital systems and operational resilience, and board-level oversight.
The enforcement action follows a probe by a four-member DGCA committee, which submitted its findings last month. In the immediate aftermath of the disruption, the regulator had also cut IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 per cent.
Warnings have been issued to CEO Pieter Elbers for inadequate oversight of flight operations and crisis handling, and to the Accountable Manager for failing to assess the impact of the winter schedule alongside the revised FDTL norms. The Senior Vice President of the Operations Control Centre has also been warned and directed to be relieved of current operational responsibilities.
Additional warnings were issued to several senior officials, including the deputy head of flight operations, assistant vice president (crew resource planning), and director (flight operations), for lapses in operational supervision, manpower planning, and roster management.