DGCA Slaps ₹22 Crore Fine on IndiGo: A Drop in the Ocean for the Airline Giant?

• DGCA imposed a ₹22.20 crore fine on IndiGo and demanded a ₹50 crore bank guarantee following a major operational crisis in December 2025.
• The crisis saw 2,507 IndiGo flights canceled and 1,852 delayed, affecting over 3 lakh passengers due to over-optimization and poor preparation.
• Investigation revealed IndiGo failed to comply with revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules, leading to crew fatigue and rostering errors.
• The ₹22.20 crore fine is equivalent to only two and a half to three hours of IndiGo's daily earnings, which average ₹225 crore.
• DGCA warned senior IndiGo officials, including the CEO and COO, and mandated the removal of the Senior Vice President (OCC) from operational duties.

Why It Matters: DGCA's ₹22 crore fine on IndiGo, though substantial, represents a minor fraction of its daily earnings.