61% airline travellers say DGCA penalty on IndiGo not sufficient: Survey

The DGCA imposed a record penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo for regulatory non-compliance, mainly linked to failures in implementing revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms

A majority of Indian airline passengers believe that the penalty imposed by the aviation regulator on IndiGo is not strong enough to address the large-scale disruption caused to travellers in December 2025, a new survey has found.

 

According to a survey conducted by community platform LocalCircles, 61 per cent of airline travellers said the penalty and disciplinary action taken by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) against IndiGo were insufficient for the hardship faced by passengers.

 

The DGCA recently imposed a record penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo for regulatory non-compliance, mainly linked to failures in implementing revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. The regulator also issued warnings to senior executives, including the airline’s CEO and COO, and asked IndiGo to submit a ₹50 crore bank guarantee to ensure operational reforms.

 

 

What the survey found

 

The LocalCircles survey asked passengers whether the ₹22.2 crore penalty and the removal of a senior executive were adequate. Out of 31,196 respondents, 61 per cent said “absolutely not”, while 21 per cent felt the action was appropriate. The remaining 18 per cent did not give a clear answer.

 

Many respondents pointed out that the penalty amounted to only a small fraction of the airline’s daily revenue and would not act as a strong deterrent against future violations.

 

The survey received responses from over 31,000 airline passengers across 292 districts in India. Of the respondents, 66 per cent were men and 34 per cent were women. About 43 per cent were from Tier-I cities, 26 per cent from Tier-II and 31 per cent from Tier-III, Tier-IV and rural areas.   

 

What triggered the IndiGo disruption

 

IndiGo faced one of its biggest operational crisis in December 2025 after new FDTL and crew rest rules came into force from November 1. These rules were introduced to improve safety by limiting duty hours and ensuring adequate rest for pilots and cabin crew.

 

However, the airline allegedly failed to prepare adequately. Over-optimised rosters, staff shortages and limited buffer capacity led to a sudden unavailability of crew once the rules were enforced. As a result, over 2,500 flights were cancelled and nearly 1,900 were delayed between December 3 and 5, affecting more than 300,000 passengers across the country.

 

Major airports, such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, witnessed crowded terminals, confused passengers, long delays and overwhelmed staff. Many travellers complained of poor communication, lost or delayed baggage and lack of timely assistance.

 

Passenger anger over compensation

 

The disruption also triggered complaints over compensation. Several passengers alleged that IndiGo offered travel vouchers instead of cash refunds, even though DGCA rules allow passengers to claim monetary compensation in certain cases.

 

Travellers said refunds were delayed, alternative flights were limited, and many had to pay extra to rebook tickets on other airlines. These issues further added to passenger dissatisfaction and raised questions about accountability, especially given IndiGo’s dominant market share of over 60 per cent.