In a major relief for passengers affected by widespread flight disruptions, IndiGo Airlines on Thursday announced that travellers stranded between December 3 and 5, 2025, will receive a ₹10,000 travel voucher, valid for 12 months. The airline said the voucher will be provided to customers who were “severely impacted” due to airport congestion and prolonged delays.
In an official statement, IndiGo said,
“IndiGo regrettably acknowledges that part of our customers travelling on 3/4/5 December 2025 were stranded for many hours at certain airports and a number of them were severely impacted due to congestion. We will offer travel vouchers worth INR 10,000 to such severely impacted customers. These vouchers can be used for any future IndiGo journey for the next 12 months.”
Compensation Over and Above Government Rules
The airline clarified that this benefit will be in addition to ticket refunds and the ₹5,000–₹10,000 compensation mandated by the government for extended delays and cancellations.
IndiGo added that most passenger refunds have already been processed, and the remaining will be cleared soon.
Crisis Origin: Nationwide Operational Breakdown
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, plunged into crisis early last week after severe operational disruptions resulted in the cancellation and delay of thousands of flights across the country starting December 2. Airports across major cities witnessed chaos, with thousands of passengers left stranded for hours.
Authorities have now directed IndiGo to cut its winter flight schedule by 10% to stabilise operations. Before the crisis, the carrier operated around 2,300 flights per day.
Even as recovery efforts continue, over 100 flights were cancelled on Thursday, marking Day 10 of the ongoing disruption.
Regulatory Scrutiny Intensifies
Amid continued service breakdowns, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to submit a comprehensive report detailing the causes behind the disruptions and the status of restoration efforts.
IndiGo Chairman Rejects Allegations
In a video address on Wednesday, IndiGo chairman Vikram Singh Mehta responded to the wave of criticism and rumours circulating online.
He acknowledged that some criticism was justified, stating that the airline “let its customers down” and must answer to passengers, employees, shareholders, and the government.
However, he firmly denied several allegations, including claims that the airline:
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intentionally engineered the crisis,
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attempted to influence government rules, or
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compromised safety protocols.
He described these accusations as “untrue”.
