The DGCA has made the call to extend one time the 24-hour period to the biggest Indian airline, IndiGo, to submit its comprehensive response to the show-cause notice.
The top limit for the airline’s CEO and the in-charge manager is set to be 6:00 PM on Monday, December 8, 2025. This short extension has been granted during a period of massive flight disruptions across the country, with IndiGo being the most affected, causing the cancellation and delay of flights and leaving huge numbers of passengers stranded.
The airline was originally given just a day to respond to the operational failures through the notice, which was issued on Saturday. The airline’s top management asked for the extension, pointing out the vastness of the airline’s network and the many different things that caused the domino effect of operational failure throughout its system.
The DGCA has not left any doubt that this is the last chance, and has cautioned that the regulator will take the action ‘ex-parte’, meaning only on the basis of the existing records and evidence, if a complete reply is not provided within the stated time.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Non-Compliance
The DGCA’s show-cause notice reveals major deficiencies in planning, control, and the use of resources in IndiGo. The main cause of the universal turmoil was the incident that the airline did not come up to expectations with respect to the new regulations for flight duty time limitations (FDTL) of pilots that had come into effect on November 1, 2025.
The regulatory authority stated that this operational difficulty was a prima facie case of non-compliance with particular provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements.
In addition, the notice also points out the failure of the airline to provide mandatory information and necessary passenger facilities during the extensive cancellations and delays that amounted to a violation of passenger protection regulations.
DGCA is keen on determining the accountability at the very top, making the CEO and the Accountable Manager responsible for the proper management of the airline.
Operational Recovery and Passenger Impact
IndiGo is facing heavy regulatory pressure, but at the same time, the airline is trying to keep its network from falling apart. Unfortunately for the airline, their operations got disrupted to such an extent that on the worst days the number of cancelled flights exceeded a thousand.
In addition to government directives, IndiGo has had to refund a lot of money to affected customers as part of its recovery measures. The company has also received temporary relaxations from the DGCA on the FDTL norms related to night operations during its recovery period and is hoping to stabilize its schedule by December 10.
The aviation ministry is observing the situation very closely by making sure that passengers get the full refunds and lost baggage is returned. The final response is expected by Monday evening, and it will determine the next course of regulatory enforcement action against the airline.
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