New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Sunday reported improvements across the country’s aviation network, noting that all other domestic airlines were operating smoothly.
According to the ministry, IndiGo’s services jumped from 706 flights on December 5 to 1,565 on December 6, with numbers expected to rise further through Saturday. Officials said the sector was stabilising quickly following the disruption.
IndiGo, meanwhile, said its flight operations “have recovered” as it moved closer to restoring normal service. The carrier said late on Saturday that it expected to operate more than 1,650 flights by the end of the day, up from about 1,500 flights a day earlier. It added that 137 of its 138 destinations were now back on the network and that on-time performance had improved significantly to 75%, compared with 30% on Friday.
The airline said it would maintain a full waiver on cancellations and rescheduling for all bookings until December 15. Refund processing and baggage clearance were being “fast-tracked,” it added, assuring passengers that teams were working continuously to normalize operations.
The government, in order to prevent airfare spikes caused by high demand on affected routes, has imposed an immediate cap on fares. Authorities said this intervention had helped bring ticket prices back to reasonable levels, and all airlines had been instructed to strictly follow the revised limits. The ministry has also ordered IndiGo to complete refunds for cancellations and long delays by 8 pm on Saturday. The airline has processed ₹610 crore in refunds so far.
Passengers whose travel plans were disrupted will not be charged any fees for rescheduling. Dedicated help desks have been deployed to ensure swift assistance.
IndiGo has additionally been directed to reunite all separated baggage with passengers within 48 hours. According to the ministry, more than 3,000 pieces of luggage had already been delivered nationwide by Friday, with continuous communication mandated until every bag is returned.
Airport authorities in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Goa confirmed that terminals were operating normally, with no congestion at check-in, security or boarding points. On-ground support has been reinforced through additional monitoring and coordinated deployment of airport and CISF personnel.
A 24×7 control room set up by MoCA remains active, overseeing flight operations and passenger support across the country. Officials said calls from travellers were being handled promptly and that oversight teams were monitoring crew availability, scheduling and handling standards to ensure complete compliance.
The ministry reassured travellers that passenger safety, comfort and rights remain its foremost priority. It said the aviation system was rapidly returning to normal and that enhanced measures would remain in place until full operational stability is restored. Further updates, it added, would be shared as needed.
(Cover photo by Bornil Amin on Unsplash)