In response to the escalating operational crisis at IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued two critical directives today aimed at shielding passengers from surging fares and delayed refunds. The moves come as thousands of travellers face cancellations, delays, and logistical nightmares due to the widespread disruptions of IndiGo flights.
The ministry said that it has taken note of concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption. “In order to protect passengers from any form of opportunistic pricing, the Ministry has invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes,” the ministry said.
The ministry in a statement said that an official directive has been issued to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have now been prescribed. These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises. The objective of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel, including senior citizens, students, and patients, are not subjected to financial hardship during this period.
The civil aviation ministry added that it will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract immediate corrective action in the larger public interest.
In order to protect passengers from any form of opportunistic pricing, the Ministry has invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes.
— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) December 6, 2025
The Ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active…
The ministry also issued a separate order to IndiGo, instructing it to process and disburse all pending refunds without delay. IndiGo has been ordered to complete the processing of refunds for all cancelled or severely disrupted flights by 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7.
Additionally, all the airlines have been barred from imposing rescheduling charges on affected customers.
The ministry has issued three directions for IndiGo specifically and for all airlines in general. IndiGo has been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells. These cells will have to be tasked to proactively contact affected passengers and ensure that refunds and alternative travel arrangements are processed without the need for multiple follow-ups. The system of automatic refunds will remain active until operations stabilise completely.
In the second direction, IndiGo is ordered to ensure that all baggage that was separated from passengers due to cancellations or delays is traced and delivered to the passenger’s residential or any other chosen address within the next 48 hours. Airlines have been told to maintain clear communication with passengers regarding tracking and delivery timelines, and to provide compensation where required under existing passenger rights regulations. `
In the third direction, the ministry emphasized its “zero-inconvenience policy,” saying that it is maintaining continuous coordination with airlines, airports, security agencies, and all operational stakeholders to ensure that passenger rights are fully protected during this period of disruption. Oversight mechanisms have been reinforced to guarantee proper facilitation for senior citizens, differently-abled passengers, students, patients, and all those requiring urgent travel.
The statement added that the Ministry continues to closely monitor the recovery process and remains fully committed to restoring complete operational normalcy at the earliest.
It must be noted that the yesterday the ministry put the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders of the DGCA in abeyance, which was the primary cause of disruptions of IndiGo flights. These new fatigue-management rules for crew issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation extended weekly rest periods for pilots from 36 to 48 hours and imposed stricter limits on night operations.
These new rules impacted IndiGo operations badly, leading to cancellation of hundreds of flights this week. The airline has been accused of not taking enough measures to face the new guidelines which were issued months ago. Other airlines including Air India recruited enough pilots and other crew members to comply new rest rules.
But it is being alleged that IndiGo didn’t make new recruitments while continuing to expand its operations. In view of such allegations, the ministry has also ordered a high-level inquiry into its flight disruptions. The inquiry will examine what went wrong at Indigo, determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions, and recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future, ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again.
