NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Central government has directed IndiGo Airlines to immediately expedite compensation for passengers affected by widespread flight cancellations and delays earlier this month, ensuring that no eligible traveller is left out of the relief process.

The directive was issued by Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha during a high-level review meeting amid mounting complaints over delays and refunds. IndiGo has been instructed to complete payouts within a fixed timeline and maintain transparency throughout the process.

As part of the relief measures, IndiGo will issue travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 each from December 26 to passengers severely impacted during December 3, 4 and 5, when thousands were stranded at airports for hours. These vouchers will be in addition to mandatory cash compensation of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 under existing aviation norms.

Officials said compensation payments for passengers who booked directly through IndiGo’s website must begin within a week. For those who booked via online travel agencies (OTAs) or travel agents, the airline has been directed to collect passenger details from the platforms and disburse compensation directly at the earliest.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been tasked with ensuring that compensation reaches all affected passengers, while the Civil Aviation Ministry will monitor the process through the Air Seva grievance redressal portal.

Despite IndiGo’s claim that refunds have been initiated, several passengers who booked through OTAs continue to report delays. A south Delhi-based banker said both her credit card payment and reward points used for a December 7 flight remain unrefunded, with the airline and OTA shifting responsibility.

IndiGo, however, maintained that full refunds for all cancelled flights during the disruption period were processed without deductions, stating that the onus now lies on OTAs to transfer the amounts. Sources said several major OTAs, including MakeMyTrip, began issuing refunds even before receiving funds from the airline, with MakeMyTrip alone reportedly disbursing nearly ₹10 crore. The DGCA has directed OTAs to ensure full refunds without cuts.

Between December 1 and 9, IndiGo cancelled 4,354 flights. Of these, 2,507 flights—2,456 domestic and 51 international—were cancelled on December 3, 4 and 5 alone. Based on an average of 150 passengers per flight, the airline may need to issue vouchers to over 3.8 lakh passengers, with the total compensation outgo estimated to exceed ₹376 crore.