India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is facing intensified scrutiny as global credit rating agency Moody’s sharply criticised the carrier for what it called inadequate preparation ahead of new aviation norms. The assessment comes at a time when the airline is already battling large-scale flight delays and cancellations triggered by the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which took effect during the peak winter travel season.
In its latest report, Moody’s said the airline’s “poor preparation for long-announced aviation regulations” resulted in major operational setbacks and is viewed as “credit negative.” The agency highlighted that the disruptions reflect significant shortcomings in IndiGo’s planning strategies despite regulators announcing the FDTL changes over a year in advance.
Moody’s further warned that the chaos could lead to revenue losses and reputational damage, noting that hundreds of IndiGo flights were either delayed or cancelled as the new pilot duty norms kicked in. The timing—coinciding with the high-demand holiday period—exacerbated the situation, leaving thousands of passengers stranded or forced to reschedule travel plans.
Amid growing frustration among flyers, IndiGo issued an official statement assuring customers that the airline has initiated refund procedures for all cancelled services during the two-week disruption window. In its post, IndiGo said: "We’d like to inform you that refunds for flights cancelled between 3rd December 2025 and 15th December 2025 are already being processed. In case your plans have changed due to the disruption, we are also offering a full waiver on change and cancellation requests for all bookings valid for travel till 15th December 2025. You can do so by visiting https://bit.ly/4iGWxU9 and following the simple steps. Refunds will be credited to the original payment method and may appear as one or two transactions."
The airline also extended an apology to customers, adding: "We are deeply sorry for the disruption to your journey. Please be assured that our teams both on the ground and behind the scenes are working tirelessly to support all affected customers and restore normal operations as quickly as possible."
