In a significant move to aid distressed travelers, online travel aggregator ixigo has announced it will provide full refunds on specific fees to customers affected by the ongoing wave of IndiGo flight cancellations. The company stated it will reimburse the entire convenience fee and assured fee for all tickets booked through its platform where the airline cancelled the journey.
Details of the ixigo Refund Initiative
The refund offer from ixigo is specifically for passengers whose IndiGo flights were cancelled by the carrier between December 3 and December 8, 2025. All such customers will be eligible to get their complete convenience and assured fees back. In an official statement, ixigo expressed its understanding of the stress caused by such travel disruptions and committed to helping passengers secure quick refunds and alternate bookings during this challenging period.
The Scale of IndiGo's Operational Crisis
This customer-friendly gesture from ixigo comes against the backdrop of severe operational turmoil at IndiGo, India's largest airline. The crisis reached a peak with the airline cancelling over 1,000 flights on Friday, followed by more than 800 cancellations on Saturday. This mass disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded across the nation.
The primary reason cited for these widespread cancellations is a pilot shortage. This shortage stems from the full implementation of new, stricter Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which are designed to ensure pilots get adequate rest but have constrained available crew resources.
Kolkata Airport Heavily Impacted
The crisis had a pronounced effect at major airports like Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. On Saturday alone, IndiGo cancelled 41 flights at this hub. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official provided a breakdown: 21 were incoming flights from various destinations and 20 were outgoing flights to different cities.
IndiGo's Response and the Road Ahead
IndiGo, for its part, has stated it is addressing customer refund issues on a 'priority' basis and working 'determinedly' to normalize operations. The airline noted a slight improvement, with Saturday's cancellations dropping below 850, which was lower than Friday's count. It has assured customers that it is progressively working to reduce cancellations in the coming days. For direct refund assistance, the airline has directed passengers to its official website or customer support channels.
This situation highlights the cascading effect of airline operational issues on the broader travel ecosystem and how aggregators like ixigo are stepping in to mitigate passenger inconvenience during large-scale disruptions.
