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IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is facing one of its worst operational crises with mass flight cancellations and severe delays across major airports, leading to widespread passenger disruption and regulatory scrutiny. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have sought explanations and asked the carrier to fast-track refunds, which have reportedly crossed ₹600 crore, even as InterGlobe Aviation’s stock has come under pressure. IndiGo has set up a crisis management group and launched a reboot of crew and aircraft scheduling, with the management expressing confidence that operations will stabilise around December 10 and flight numbers are already moving back towards normal levels. IndiGo Airlines commenced operations on 4 August 2006 with a service from New Delhi to Imphal via Guwahati. In December 2010, IndiGo replaced state-run carrier Air India as the third-largest airline in India, behind Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways with a passenger market share of 17.3%. The airline became the largest Indian carrier in passenger market share in 2012. In 2011, IndiGo placed an order for 180 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth $15 billion. The same year, the airline got the permission to launch international flights. On 17 August 2012, IndiGo became the largest airline in India in terms of market share, surpassing Jet Airways. In January 2013, IndiGo became the second-fastest-growing low-cost carrier in Asia, next only to Indonesian airline Lion Air. In August 2015, IndiGo placed an order of 250 Airbus A320neo aircraft worth $27 billion, the largest single order ever for Airbus. IndiGo announced a $460-million initial public offering (IPO) on 19 October 2015, which opened on 27 October 2015.
An official said 48 arrivals and 49 departures were cancelled at the airport
The airline said reduced visibility in the early hours could affect flight operations, leading to delays or schedule changes
Updated On: Dec 21 2025 | 6:28 AM ISTBefore the crisis, the airline operated a total of 2,300 flights per day - about 2,000 domestic and about 300 international
Updated On: Dec 18 2025 | 11:42 PM ISTFrom aviation to finance, regulatory failures marked India's economy in 2025, exposing weak state capacity and the urgent need to redesign how regulators function
Updated On: Dec 18 2025 | 10:06 PM ISTA Bengaluru-bound IndiGo Airlines flight with 216 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here following a bird strike, airport officials said Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday night and Airport Director Puneet Gupta informed that all 216 passengers on board were safely evacuated after the plane landed. The aircraft, operating as flight 6E 437 en route from Gorakhpur to Bengaluru, suffered damage to its front portion following the bird hit during the flight, officials said. Given the seriousness of the situation, the pilot immediately contacted the Varanasi Air Traffic Control and safely landed the aircraft at the Varanasi airport, officials added. Gupta noted that said some passengers were flown to their destination on Monday, while arrangements were made to send the remaining passengers on other flights.
Domestic carrier IndiGo on Wednesday received its first Airbus A321 XLR aircraft at the Delhi airport, and will be deployed for non-stop services to Athens from Delhi and Mumbai starting later this month. Of the total order of 40 A321 XLR aircraft, nine are expected to be delivered in the 2026 calendar year. After its first international induction to operate non-stop services to Athens, subsequent aircraft will be deployed on existing routes such as Istanbul, Turkey, and Denpasar, Bali, the airline said. The aircraft that are to be inducted into the fleet later will enable the airline to expand to new long-haul routes in Europe and East Asia, it said. IndiGo is the first Indian carrier to have inducted the long-range variant of the Airbus A321neo in its fleet, and the airline said that the move is a significant step as part of its long-term international expansion strategy. "It is an important milestone as we prepare to redefine long-haul travel for India. The advanced capabilitie
IndiGo has strengthened its services in neighbouring Puducherry operating 14 flights a week thereby enhancing its regional connectivity, the airliner said on Saturday. The enhanced air connectivity has supported Puducherry's development across multiple sectors. Improved access to Bengaluru and Hyderabad has enabled residents to travel more efficiently for specialised healthcare and higher education, IndiGo said. The airliner commenced operations from Puducherry on December 20, 2024 and completed one year of operations for the Union Territory. As of December 2025, it operates 14 flights per week from Puducherry connecting the city with Bengaluru and Hyderabad, a press release said on Saturday. The air service has also enabled onward connectivity for passengers from Puducherry travelling across India and also to overseas destinations, it said. Over the past year, IndiGo's services have provided regular and reliable air connectivity from Puducherry, addressing travel needs in a region
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said the ministry is currently analysing the report submitted by the panel that probed the massive flight disruptions involving IndiGo earlier this month. While speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of an event here, he said, "The report has been submitted to the ministry. We are analysing the report, taking further comments from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and we will follow up on the action on that". According to officials, the inquiry committee, headed by DGCA Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, was constituted on December 5 to conduct a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions. The committee had submitted its report on Friday evening. Earlier this month, IndiGo cancelled more than 1,600 flights in a single day, followed by several days of bulk cancellations. The inadequate planning in implementing the revised pilot rest norms was cited a
IndiGo has already been allowed to operate five narrow body planes leased from Turkey till March 2026 and no further extension will be given, according to aviation regulator DGCA. The watchdog on Monday provided a clarification about the lease duration for aircraft taken by IndiGo from Turkey amid speculations that the airline has been given more time to use such leased planes. "IndiGo has been permitted to operate aircraft on wet lease from Turkey with a last extension valid till March 2026 with a sunset clause that no further extension will be given. "This is based on the undertaking submitted by Indigo airlines in the instant case wherein they have sought last time extension, since their long range aircraft (A321-XLR) are to be delivered by February 2026," a senior DGCA official said. The lease of five Boeing 737 planes taken from Turkey's Corendon Airlines ends on March 31, 2026, as per the regulator. Currently, IndiGo operates 15 foreign aircraft on wet/damp lease basis, ...
Authorities will take elaborate and corrective actions after studying the probe panel report into the recent massive flight disruptions at IndiGo, a senior official said on Friday. The four-member panel constituted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to finalise its report soon. In the wake of the flight disruptions earlier this month, the DGCA has cut IndiGo's winter schedule by 10 per cent. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, used to operate 2,300 flights daily. The senior government official said elaborate and corrective actions will be taken after studying the panel's report. "We will continuously work on it," the official said, emphasising that efforts are underway to ensure such disruptions do not happen again. To a query on whether the schedule adherence of other airlines is also being monitored, the official replied in the affirmative. This is travel season, and also coinciding with the fog season, and airlines should be operating more flig
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from the Customs department on a plea by InterGlobe Aviation, which operates the IndiGo airline, seeking a refund of more than Rs 900 crore paid as Customs duty on aircraft engines and parts re-imported into India after overseas repairs. A bench of Justices V Kameswar Rao and Vinod Kumar issued the notice to the deputy commissioner (refund), office of the principal commissioner of Customs, Air Cargo Complex (Import), and asked the authorities to file a counter affidavit within two weeks. The court listed the matter for next hearing on April 8, 2026. InterGlobe, in its plea, contended that the levy of Customs duty on such re-imports was unconstitutional and amounted to double levy on the same transaction. The counsel for the Customs opposed the plea, claiming it is pre-mature and that the issue based on which the present claim has been filed is pending before the Supreme Court. The counsel said the Supreme Court has not passed any st