The study, which gathered 15,938 responses from passengers across 301 districts, underscores the growing frustrations of travelers as the airline’s service quality diminishes, even as it expands operations.
The LocalCircles survey showed that timeliness and staff behavior were the primary sources of passenger complaints. Approximately 54% of respondents noted that the airline struggled with punctuality, while 45% reported that the airline’s personnel were impolite and lacking in courtesy.
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Frequent reports from travelers mentioned delayed departures, ongoing last-minute schedule alterations, and insufficient information during these disruptions. Many described their interactions with staff as characterized by impatience and a lack of empathy, particularly amidst flight delays.
Other concerns raised by passengers in the past year included poor baggage handling (42%), inadequate communication from IndiGo’s customer service (32%), and 27% highlighting that aircraft quality and maintenance fell short of expectations.
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Additionally, 23% of respondents indicated that the quality of food offered by the airline was unsatisfactory, with 19% mentioning various other issues. Overall, complaints about transparency in addressing concerns surged from 27% in 2024 to 45% this year.
The findings indicate a steady decline in the quality of service provided by IndiGo throughout the year, rather than an isolated crisis stemming from the recent crew shortages or external operational challenges.
According to the LocalCircles survey, the rise in complaints over the past 12 months aligns with a decline in on-time performance, which dropped from 92.4% in 2021 to 85.4% in 2023 and further to 69.69% in 2024. Currently, its on-time arrival rate has partially rebounded to around 80-82%.
Many respondents have called for a more robust redressal mechanism for passenger grievances. LocalCircles noted that numerous issues raised by passengers extend beyond standard DGCA inquiries. The survey captured feedback from 15,938 IndiGo passengers, of which 62% were men and 38% women.
