New Delhi – Indian airline IndiGo will begin compensating passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations earlier this month, with the process set to start from December 26.
According to multiple reports, the carrier will issue travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to passengers who were severely impacted and stranded at airports for several hours on December 3, 4, and 5. These vouchers will be provided in addition to the compensation of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 already mandated under government regulations.
The decision was taken during a high-level review meeting chaired by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha. The government has directed IndiGo to ensure that all eligible passengers receive their compensation without further delay.
It was decided at the meeting that payments should commence within a week for passengers who booked tickets directly through IndiGo’s website, as their booking details are already available with the airline. IndiGo has also been instructed to collect passenger information from travel agents and online travel agencies (OTAs) and ensure that affected customers receive payments directly.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with monitoring the disbursement of compensation, while the civil aviation ministry will oversee the process through its Air Seva grievance redressal portal.
Although IndiGo has initiated refunds for cancelled flights, reports indicate that many passengers who booked through OTAs are yet to receive payments, highlighting coordination gaps between airlines and booking platforms. MakeMyTrip, meanwhile, has processed refunds worth nearly Rs 10 crore so far following directions from the DGCA, even before receiving payments from IndiGo.
Earlier, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta stated that the airline’s board would appoint external technical experts to work with the management to identify the root causes behind the large-scale flight disruptions. He added that the experts would help ensure such operational failures do not recur.
The airline has also clarified that all destinations in its network have been fully reconnected since December 8, with operations stabilising from December 9.
With inputs from IANS