DGCA grants IndiGo 24-hour extension to respond to show cause notice

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) -- the country's civil aviation regulator -- on Sunday evening gave troubled private sector airline IndiGo an extension of 24 hours to a deadline to respond to its show cause notice (SCN) over the recent large-scale operational disruptions and suspected compliance violations that impacted thousands of passengers. The airline will now have to submit its response by 6 pm on Monday, December 8.

The regulator had issued the show cause notice to the airline on Saturday, holding its CEO, Pieter Elbers, accountable for large-scale operational disruptions and pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management".

The DGCA, however, made it clear that no further extensions will be allowed to the airline in the matter and that any failure to submit a comprehensive reply within the stipulated time would lead to the DGCA proceeding ex-parte.

Add Zee Business as a Preferred Source

IndiGo requested deadline extension

The extension was granted after IndiGo’s CEO and COO requested additional time on Sunday. The IndiGo management sought more time, citing nationwide large-scale operations and disruptions caused by several unavoidable factors.

"This refers to the above mentioned Show Cause Notice dated 06.12.2025 (SCN), in relation to the recent operational disruption caused to IndiGo’s flight network. At the outset, I/we at InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo), wish to acknowledge the receipt of the SCN, received vide email dated 06.12.2025. In terms of the SCN, I, Isidre Porqueras Orea, as the Accountable Manager and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IndiGo, am required to provide my/our response within twenty four (24) hours from the receipt of the SCN," wrote the airline to the regulator.

"Sir, you will appreciate that given the scale of IndiGo’s flight network and multitude of unavoidable factors leading to the operational disruption of IndiGo flights at various airports, we will require adequate time to provide a detailed response to the SCN," it noted.

"We request your good offices to kindly grant us an extension of time at least till 1800 hours tomorrow (i.e. 08.12.2025), or such other extended period to reply, as deemed fit," said IndiGo.