New Delhi: IndiGo Airlines, which faced a severe operational crisis earlier this month, is set to start compensating affected passengers from December 26. India’s largest airline had cancelled more than 5,000 flights between December 2 and December 10, while several others suffered long delays, causing widespread inconvenience to lakhs of travellers. Following recent directions issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the compensation process is now set to begin and estimates suggest that IndiGo may have to shell out around Rs 376 crore to compensate nearly 3.8 lakh impacted passengers.

Rs 10,000 travel voucher for stranded flyers
The government on Friday instructed IndiGo to immediately initiate compensation for passengers affected between December 3 and December 5, the Times of India reported citing sources. Under this process, the airline will issue a Rs 10,000 travel voucher to each severely impacted customer who remained stranded at airports for several hours during this period. In addition, as per government norms IndiGo will also have to pay cash compensation ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to affected passengers, depending on the extent of disruption.

Website bookings to get faster relief
An official told TOI that passengers who booked tickets directly through IndiGo’s website are likely to receive compensation within a week, as the airline already has their complete details. The airline has also been directed to coordinate with travel agents and online travel agencies to collect passenger information for those who booked through third-party platforms. The compensation process for these passengers is expected to begin soon as well.

Aviation ministry to monitor process
The government has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure that every eligible passenger receives due compensation. The Ministry of Civil Aviation will also monitor the entire process through its AirSewa portal to ensure transparency and timely redressal of passenger grievances.