IndiGo's Refund Controversy: Passengers Challenge "100% Refund" Claims After Significant Deductions on Cancelled Flights

Passengers have demanded IndiGo to issue full refunds immediately as promised during the nationwide flight cancellations.

New Delhi:

IndiGo continues to face significant backlash following the suspension of all flights across India. Numerous customers have expressed outrage after discovering substantial deductions from their promised refunds despite the airline's commitment to providing complete reimbursements.

Several affected passengers have shared screenshots of their refund receipts and the airline's terms of refund on social media platforms, presenting evidence that contradicts IndiGo's promise of no deductions. Many disgruntled customers have labeled the airline as dishonest and are insisting on immediate full fare reimbursements.

GreyLabs AI CEO Aman Goel publicly challenged IndiGo on the social platform X, questioning how the airline could claim to offer a 100% refund while simultaneously deducting Rs 8,718 from his airfare. He directly asked the airline to explain this discrepancy and included a copy of IndiGo's official apology statement in his post.

IndiGo's apology statement, which featured a 'namaste' emoji, explicitly stated: "We will ensure that all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment. We will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests of your bookings for travel between December 5 to 15, 2025."

Many passengers who received partial refunds expressed feeling deceived by the airline. Fitness coach Kaustubh Radkar shared his frustration on X, stating: "Hey IndiGo, you're charging for ticket cancellations not providing full refunds. Tried to change on the website for a flight on December 10." He attached IndiGo's statement promising "full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests."

Uththra Sridharan, director at Global Remote group and Full House Entertainment, detailed her experience after paying Rs 17,000 for a round-trip ticket. When attempting to cancel just the outbound flight scheduled for the following day, she discovered the airline intended to withhold Rs 9,000 from her Rs 10,000 fare. She questioned the meaning of "zero cancellation" given these circumstances.

Another passenger, Harisha Bhat, reported booking a flight just 11 hours before cancellation and noted that the terms explicitly stated zero cancellation fees. Despite this, he was charged Rs 16,000 as a cancellation fee, which he characterized as "ripping customers." He referenced DGCA regulations stating no cancellation charges apply when cancellations occur more than seven days before departure.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has attributed the operational disruptions to IndiGo's mismanagement of its crew scheduling in relation to the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The minister announced the formation of an investigative committee to determine accountability, stating that those responsible for the situation would face consequences.