IndiGo Airways, also officially known as InterGlobe Aviation Limited, is India’s biggest airline with over 64% aviation market share in 2025. It is also considered one of the most budget-friendly airlines globally. Founded in 2005, the airline has built an impressive global reputation for rendering “hassle-free” service both in India and abroad.
Like its counterparts that also serve global passengers, it operates the Indigo flight delay compensation model to make up for its inadequacies. The airline is also compliant with domestic laws, regional regulations, and international treaties that control the aviation industry. In this piece, we will discuss IndiGo Airways' operations, its various compensations, and other related functions, rules specific to its operations.
Like every other airline, IndiGo also offers different types of compensation to its passengers in accordance with international requirements, including those set by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Among the offered compensation is delay compensation for passengers whose travel was disrupted due to the company's fault. There’s also Indigo Airline cancellation compensation, which is given when the scheduled flight is cancelled for reasons related to the airline's operations.
Since it complies with global aviation regulations, Indigo Airlines claims that compensation can be processed in accordance with these laws, as in any other flight. In the case of:
If the scheduled flight is cancelled 2 weeks or more before departure, passengers are eligible to either receive a refund or have an alternate flight arranged. If a scheduled flight is cancelled between 24 hours and 2 weeks before departure, the airline is obligated to either offer a full refund or arrange an alternative flight.
Also, if the airline cancels the flight less than 24 hours before departure, passengers are entitled to a full refund, including an additional $52.53 in cash compensation. If it’s cancelled within 1 – 2 hours before departure, passengers are eligible for $78.79; if cancelled over 2 hours before departure, $105.05.
Airlines, in most cases, oversell their tickets, leaving some passengers stranded. In a case like this, passengers who were involuntarily denied boarding receive much higher compensation. Passengers who are not rebooked within 24 hours receive up to $105.05 in compensation, while those denied rebooking more than 24 hours earlier are eligible for $210.10. Worse still, those denied rebooking receive $210.10 in cash compensation and a full refund.
However, it’s worth noting that IndiGo Airways offers a disruption voucher worth $105.05, and eligible passengers must add it to their compensation request form when applying.
If a passenger paid for VIP tickets, e.g., the IndiGo Stretch, but then moved to economy class, the passenger is entitled to a refund of the fare difference. But according to EU 261, passengers are entitled to 30% - 70% of the ticket price within the next 7 days. For emphasis, this also depends on the flight distance.
It is worth noting that stranded passengers during the December 2025 meltdown were issued a $120 travel voucher, as a one-off courtesy concession. Among the recipients were both adults and infants; it expires in December 2026.
These are the steps eligible passengers can lay claim to their Indigo Airlines Compensation:
Step 1: Review the flight block time on the original ticket.
Step 2: Submit evidence of delay via the official IndiGo Compensation Portal. Use the Passenger Name Record (PNR) and surname.
But if the airline turns down a genuine compensation request, it’s advised to escalate it via the company’s official online platform, the Air Sewa portal.
Note: A PNR is an alphanumeric code that serves as a digital certificate. It stores all the details of a passenger’s air travel on the airline’s database. Example of a PNR code: “Z7X9R2.”
IndiGo Airways is legally bound under a few international laws, including Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99), Canadian APPR, Cape Town Convention, Chicago Convention, IATA Standards, and the popular EU Regulation 261/2004.
The EU 261 regulation applies to all airlines operating within Europe, regardless of origin, and since IndiGo is an international carrier, it’s fully compliant with this law. This law gives certain rights to passengers, including granting them a fixed financial compensation based on the flight distance, not the ticket price. The compensation arrangement includes:
The EU 261 compensation law does not apply to IndiGo flights arriving in the EU, e.g., flights from Kempegowda International Airport to Heathrow Airport. Also, passengers who booked an IndiGo flight through its official partners, Turkish Airlines, are still eligible for EU 261 compensation.
It’s pertinent to state that IndiGo Airways works with various airlines as partners to further expand its global reach.
Virgin Atlantic:This partnership is meant to connect Indian travelers with the United States and the United Kingdom, through Manchester and London.
Delta Air Lines:Connecting travelers across Canada and the United States through Amsterdam.
China Southern Airlines:This is IndiGo’s strategic partners, positioned to connect Indian travelers with China, using Guangzhou as connecting location.
Deutsche Bahn (DB):This partnership is meant to connect passengers to train services in Germany, dubbed “Rail & Fly” options.
Norse Atlantic Airways:This arrangement was made for long-haul purposes, to use the prestigious Boeing 787 Dreamliners to connect passengers from Manchester to Amsterdam.
Under EU 261, if a flight operated by IndiGo Airways is delayed by more than 2 hours at an airport in the European Union, the airline must provide affected passengers with free refreshments, communication (fax, phone call, or email), and meals. If delayed overnight, the airline is liable to pay for the transport and hotel room.
Note: IndiGo Airways is exempt from these compensation requirements if the situation is caused by extraordinary circumstances, e.g., bad weather, strikes by airport staff, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or government instructions.
It’s also important to note that, under the “Right to Care” mandate of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo is required to provide passengers affected by flight cancellations and delays with free meals and light refreshments while waiting for an alternate flight. This law is enshrined under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) rules.
Like the EU 261 regulation, IndiGo Airways is also bound under the Chicago Convention and the Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99). While the MC99 regulation protects airline passengers against unnecessary flight delays, baggage loss, injury, and death, the Chicago Convention protects both pilots and passengers. It ensures that airlines under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) offer a non-discriminatory service. It ensures that countries charge the same fee to foreign airlines using their airports.
The Chicago Convention also ensures that members use the same technical standards for licensing pilots, flight maintenance, and air traffic control communication, and that IndiGo complies fully with this law.
IndiGo's compensation for lost baggage depends on the type of flight; it is classified between international and local flights, and it constantly changes. In 2026, the airline issued the highest claim for international flights of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR), equivalent to $2,015, while domestic flights were $239.38, approximately $4.19 per kg.
As a signatory to MC99, IndiGo Airways complies fully with these organizations' laws, as does every other member of the ICAO, to which the airline is also a signatory. In December 2024, the ICAO increased the liability for baggage loss and passenger injuries.
In the latest review, international airlines are required to compensate passengers in SDRs. The compensation arrangement pays a passenger $2,019 and covers any financial damage or loss of baggage (if proven). The stipulated amount is the maximum payout, which is also expected to cover all expenses in the interim. Interim expenses are expenses incurred for essentials while waiting to recover lost or damaged luggage. However, affected passengers are expected to keep all receipts for evidence.
Also, affected passengers are expected to file a complaint within 7 days of receiving damaged luggage. And for victims of delayed luggage, they are expected to file a complaint within 21 days from the day it went missing. Luggage is officially declared lost 21 days after the expected arrival date; hence, affected passengers are expected to issue a claim in full up to the SDR limit.
In the event of an injury or death on board, whether during embarkation or disembarkation, the Montreal Convention recommends a “two-tier liability system.”
Affected airlines are expected to comply with strict liability. For claims up to $201,896, the airline is not expected to contest the claim, regardless of fault.
This is also referred to as a fault-based tier. For damages that exceed 151,880 SDR, the airline is considered liable unless, in any event, it can prove that the event wasn’t caused by negligence on the part of the airline.
In the case of death, the airline must make an advanced payment of 16,000 SDR within 15 days of the event.
Below are some of the steps for claiming IndiGo compensation for lost or damaged baggage:
Step 1:Get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) from the IndiGo baggage desk before leaving the airport. Claims will be rejected without this document.
Step 2:Gather proof of lost or damaged baggage. Take a picture of the damaged items and keep the baggage tags or boarding pass.
Step 3:Submit all documents by uploading the receipts and PIR on the IndiGo Compensation Portal.
Yes, passengers can cancel their booking if they wish, but they won’t be entitled to compensation under any of the international regulations stipulated. Refunds are also possible, but it depends on the passenger category.
Domestic flights booked 7 days before departure but can be cancelled 24 hours before the actual flight can be cancelled for free. But in a case where the airline cancels and reschedules the flight to an hour earlier or two hours later, the passenger can decide to cancel their booking and still get a full refund. This arrangement is dubbed "IndiGo Plan B.”
IndiGo Airways now operates special waivers. Due to the current crisis in the Middle East, the airline is offering a full cancellation waiver for travelers en route to Istanbul and the Middle East until May 31, 2026.
IndiGo Airways, with the world's largest fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft, is considered the most passenger-friendly airline, thanks to its compensation packages that align with international aviation standards. Passengers who feel their complaints aren't being addressed may reach out to IndiGo customer support if the airline’s airport desk service section isn’t satisfactory.
Finally, it’s also important to note that affected passengers eligible for Indigo overbooking compensation who paid for their meals or accommodation should keep all payment receipts, which will later be presented as evidence for proper reimbursement.
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