The collapse of IndiGo’s flight network in December that led to considerable suffering for fliers was not accidental. The penalty of Rs 22.20 crore now imposed by the DGCA on IndiGo for its many lapses — the sum is less than what the company earns in one day — is thus shockingly inadequate. Passengers are estimated to have lost Rs 2,500 crore owing to IndiGo’s failures during the crisis: yet, IndiGo has been asked to cough up merely 0.31% of the 7,263 crore net profit the airline recorded in 2024-25. The DGCA’s supervision is reactive, dependent on post-crisis penalties, and too thin on preventive audits that force airlines to demonstrate readiness before operational stress affects passengers. It should be given the powers to penalise airlines for causing passengers inconveniences, mandate time-bound compensation, and enforce audited minimum crew and aircraft buffers.

Source: The Telegraph January 22, 2026 02:41 UTC