Overview
- Ministry data presented in the Lok Sabha shows 6,890 domestic flights were cancelled in December, disrupting about 9.66 lakh passengers.
- IndiGo cancelled 5,689 flights affecting roughly 9.02 lakh travellers, far exceeding the previously highlighted Dec 3–5 peak period.
- The DGCA ordered a 10% cut to IndiGo’s winter schedule and levied Rs 22.20 crore in penalties, alongside a directive to furnish a Rs 50 crore bank guarantee.
- Regulators cited management and software shortcomings plus non‑compliant crew rostering under updated FDTL rules, with adverse weather contributing to cancellations across airlines.
- A fresh tally highlights a gap with the DGCA’s earlier estimate of about 3 lakh affected passengers as IndiGo’s CEO acknowledged service failures but contested the monthly cancellation framing.