The “IndiGo Crisis” (December 1–9, 2025) was triggered by a shortage of pilots following new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, resulting in over 4,500 cancellations. While airports faced chaos, ixigo leveraged its “AI-First” architecture to prevent its support lines from collapsing.
Key Performance Metrics (December 2025)
- Call Volume: AI systems (led by the TARA assistant) handled approximately 150,000 calls during the peak disruption period.
- Resolution Rate: AI resolved close to 90% of all voice calls in December end-to-end, compared to the quarterly average of 76%.
- Proactive Outreach: The system used predictive Flight Tracker Pro data to contact affected passengers via AI voice calls, often before the airline officially notified them of cancellations.
- Speed of Refund: Despite the surge, the average refund processing time was kept under three hours.
The Financial Cost of Empathy
While AI saved operational costs, ixigo took a deliberate financial hit to build long-term customer loyalty during the crisis.
| Financial Impact | Amount / Detail |
| EBITDA Impact | ₹2 Crore ($250k) hit due to one-time waivers and lost bookings. |
| Convenience Fees | 100% Refunded for all IndiGo cancellations (Dec 3–8). |
| Assurance Fees | 100% Refunded to support stranded travelers. |
| GTV Growth | Despite the crisis, Flight GTV grew 22% YoY in Q3 FY26. |
Why AI Succeeded Where Humans Couldn’t
Ixigo Group CEO Aloke Bajpai noted that human-only support teams at other OTAs faced wait times of over 45 minutes during the crisis. Ixigo avoided this through:
- Stochastic Stress-Testing: The platform’s AI simulated cascading impacts of the FDTL rules weeks in advance, allowing for “reserve” server capacity.
- Multimodal Resolution: Users could switch between AI voice, WhatsApp chat, and the app interface seamlessly to confirm rebookings.
- Autonomous Refunds: The AI was empowered to trigger “convenience fee” reversals without manual human approval, clearing backlogs instantly.
Conclusion: The “Agentic” Future of Travel
The December crisis served as the ultimate real-world test for ixigo’s AI strategy. By resolving 90% of calls during a national aviation emergency, the company proved that AI agents are no longer just cost-saving “chatbots” but critical infrastructure for crisis management. As ixigo moves toward a fully AI-native platform in 2026, the focus is shifting from simple query resolution to becoming a proactive “travel guardian” that predicts and solves disruptions before the user even picks up the phone.
