India’s aviation sector remained on edge on Sunday as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted crisis-hit IndiGo Airlines a one-time 24-hour extension to respond to its show-cause notice. The notice was issued following nearly a week of severe disruptions that caused unprecedented cancellations, long delays, and widespread inconvenience to passengers across the country. The regulator made it clear that no further extensions will be permitted, signaling a tightening of oversight as the situation continues to evolve.

The extension, valid until 6 pm on Monday, was granted after IndiGo sought additional time, citing the operational challenge of managing thousands of passengers and disrupted schedules nationwide. The DGCA’s original deadline, issued on Saturday, required IndiGo’s top leadership—including CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras—to provide a detailed explanation within 24 hours for the chaos that unfolded across major airports.

According to the aviation regulator, the airline’s leadership submitted a written request on December 7, explaining that the scale of disruptions and the need to stabilize operations had made it difficult to compile a comprehensive response within the earlier deadline. After reviewing the request, the DGCA extended the deadline by a day but reiterated that the concession was strictly one-time and that the regulator would proceed ex-parte if the airline failed to comply fully.

IndiGo’s Worst Crisis in Recent Years

IndiGo, which operates over 2,000 flights daily and holds the largest market share in Indian aviation, has been battling what many aviation experts describe as its worst-ever operational crisis. The disruptions, now stretching into the sixth consecutive day, stem from a convergence of issues, including severe crew shortages linked to new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations, winter congestion, and what the airline initially termed “minor technical and weather-related factors.”

However, the scale of cancellations suggests a deeper structural strain. On Sunday alone, IndiGo cancelled more than 650 flights, operating around 1,650 throughout the day as it attempted to restore normalcy. Earlier in the week, cancellation figures had peaked above 550 on a single day, triggering massive overcrowding at airports, mishandling of baggage, and rising frustration among passengers who complained of poor communication and inadequate support from airline staff.

Refund Processing and Baggage Delivery Ordered by MoCA

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has been closely monitoring the situation, particularly after incidents of thousands of unclaimed bags piling up at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The ministry directed IndiGo to clear all pending baggage deliveries and refund claims by 8 pm on Sunday.

Facing mounting public pressure, IndiGo said it has already processed ₹610 crore in refunds against cancelled or severely delayed flights and handed over 3,000 pieces of baggage to affected passengers across the country. The airline said the process was ongoing and that teams were working “round the clock” to reconnect passengers with misplaced luggage.

DGCA’s Warning and Possible Outcomes

While granting the extension, the DGCA issued a stern caution that failure to submit a complete and satisfactory replywould lead the regulator to take further action based on available documents and evidence. In regulatory terms, this could include financial penalties, operational restrictions, or mandatory corrective measures imposed on the airline.

The DGCA’s show-cause notice had sought IndiGo’s explanation for systemic lapses, including:

• Failure to ensure adequate crew rostering
• Lack of timely communication to passengers
• Poor contingency planning
• Airside violations tied to chaotic ground operations

The regulator is expected to examine whether the airline violated provisions of the Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) related to passenger rights and safety oversight.

IndiGo’s Defence: A Combination of Unavoidable Factors

IndiGo, in its public statements, has maintained that the disruptions resulted from a “cascade of unavoidable factors,” which coincided with a peak winter travel period. However, industry insiders say the crisis was exacerbated by:

• The strict implementation of new FDTL norms
• A spike in crew leave applications
• A failure to anticipate the strain on operations
• Expansion of winter flights without proportional staffing

On Friday, the DGCA temporarily withdrew a new FDTL rule that barred substitution of weekly rest with leave, a measure introduced to reduce pilot fatigue. However, airlines had raised concerns that the sudden shift disrupted rostering grids that had already been published for winter operations.

IndiGo has told regulators it expects operations to stabilize by February 10, suggesting the problem may take weeks to fully resolve.

Passenger Experiences Highlight Chaos

As disruptions continued for nearly a week, passengers across India reported chaotic scenes at airports—long queues at check-in counters, stranded flyers sleeping on terminal floors, and thousands of bags stacked near baggage belts with no clear system of sorting. Social media was flooded with videos showing passengers shouting at airline staff, demanding answers about delayed or cancelled flights.

Many passengers also accused the airline of not updating flight status and giving misleading information. In several cases, passengers said they boarded buses to the aircraft only to wait inside for hours without being allowed to return to the terminal.

The crisis is particularly painful given the timing—wedding season, school holidays, and year-end travel have combined to create a spike in domestic and international travel demand.

The Road Ahead

The DGCA’s final deadline on Monday is a decisive moment for both IndiGo and India’s aviation sector. With nearly a week of disruptions impacting tens of thousands of passengers and drawing national attention, regulators are expected to take a firm line on accountability. IndiGo’s response on Monday will determine whether the matter proceeds to punitive action or is resolved through corrective measures and a detailed plan of recovery.

For now, India’s largest airline is racing against time—juggling stabilizing its network, managing public anger, addressing regulatory requirements, and reassuring passengers that the worst is over.b