16.2 lakh stranded flyers: DGCA’s December tally shows how deep IndiGo’s disruption went

DGCA data shows cancellations and long delays at IndiGo stranded millions of passengers in December, reviving concerns over pilot availability and operational resilience.

• 16.2 lakh domestic flyers stranded in December 2025 due to IndiGo disruptions
• IndiGo spent Rs 22.7 crore on refunds and rerouting for affected passengers
• Experts warn pilot shortages could disrupt future flights despite airline assurances.

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When IndiGo’s flight operations went awry in December last year, visuals of exhausted passengers confronting ground staff flooded social media. Now, the aviation regulator has quantified the scale of that disruption.

According to monthly traffic data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and reported by Times of India, 16.2 lakh domestic flyers were stranded at airports in December 2025 due to the non-availability of IndiGo aircraft or crew.

Cancellations and delays hit millions

The DGCA data shows 9.8 lakh passengers were affected by outright flight cancellations, while 6.4 lakh flyers were stranded due to delays exceeding two hours, the Times of India report said.

The impact was not limited to IndiGo alone. 43,278 passengers booked on Air India and Air India Express were affected by cancellations, while nearly 1.2 lakh flyers faced delays beyond two hours.

Rs 22.7 crore spent on refunds and rerouting

The traffic report, prepared using data submitted by domestic airlines, shows IndiGo spent about Rs 22.7 crore in December on refunds, alternate flights and other passenger facilitation measures.

However, the airline told Times of India that it cannot share details on how many passengers were eligible for compensation or how many have been compensated so far.

Airline assurances versus regulatory reality

At a January 29 review meeting, IndiGo assured regulators that it would be able to operate smoothly even after exemptions to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms are withdrawn from February 10, citing sufficient pilots on its roster.

Aviation experts remain unconvinced.

‘Another storm brewing’, warn experts

Civil aviation expert Captain M Ranganathan told Times of India that staffing risks persist despite the airline’s assurances.

“For each domestic flight, an airline should have six pairs of pilots and co-pilots, and for long-haul flights there should be 11 pairs. The pilot availability they submitted is based on DGCA’s civil aviation requirements (CAR) regulations 2022. For their present fleet, there will still be a deficiency of pilots under new regulations. There is another storm brewing if the problem is not addressed,” he said.

Pilots point to pay as core issue

Several pilots also told Times of India that low pay remains the biggest stress point in Indian aviation.

“Pilots’ salary is very low in India compared to other countries, and pilots are among the highest taxpayers,” one pilot said.

For regulators and airlines alike, the December numbers underline a clear message: operational assurances will now be judged against hard capacity, staffing depth and the system’s ability to absorb shocks without stranding millions of passengers again.