IndiGo Flight Cancellations: How To Claim Refund? Here’s All You Need To Know

IndiGo, India's largest airline, is battling one of its most serious operational meltdowns in recent years, with mass flight cancellations and extensive delays throwing air travel into disarray across the country. The chaos has resulted in stranded passengers and long queues at airports.

Since Tuesday, Dec. 2, lakhs of passengers have been affected by disruptions triggered largely by an acute pilot shortage. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, more than 200 flights were reportedly cancelled.

How To Claim A Refund From IndiGo

According to an Economic Times report, IndiGo announced that passengers affected by flight cancellations can claim a full refund or opt for an alternative flight, depending on availability and convenience. Refunds will be processed to the original mode of payment, though travellers may choose to receive the amount in a credit shell for future bookings.

The airline has urged affected passengers to share their PNR or transaction ID when seeking support.

Steps To Request A Refund

• Provide your PNR/booking reference number along with your email ID or surname.

• Select the ‘Cancel Booking' option to proceed.

• Choose your preferred refund method and click on ‘Cancel Booking'.

• Verify the details, click ‘Proceed,' and your booking will be cancelled.

What Caused The Flight Delays And Cancellations?

IndiGo operates over 2,200 daily flights, as per its website. However, the airline's on-time performance plunged to 35% on Dec. 2, according to government data cited by NDTV. This suggests that more than 1,400 flights were delayed on a single day.

A report by PTI said that the airline attributed the disruptions to a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges.”

An airline spokesperson told PTI that the issues arose due to “minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations),” adding that these factors had a compounding, unexpected impact on operations.

A source told PTI that IndiGo has been grappling with a severe crew shortage since the second phase of FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms came into effect, resulting in widespread cancellations and extensive delays.

Aviation regulator DGCA has launched an investigation into the disruptions. The watchdog has asked IndiGo to share a detailed report with the reasons behind the disruptions and present a plan to reduce cancellations and delays in the immediate future.