I recently flew with IndiGo, and it was a complete disaster.

• 50+ hour baggage delay – My checked bag was missing for over two days. When I finally got it, my DJI Mini 2 drone & power bank were gone (~$850 lost).
• No responsibility – IndiGo refused to investigate properly and kept giving me the runaround.
• Terrible compensation – After weeks of emails, they offered me a ₹2,000 ($24) voucher. That’s insulting.
• They don’t follow regulations – According to the Montreal Convention 1999, airlines must compensate for lost baggage, but IndiGo makes their own rules.

I’ve escalated this to DGCA, NCDRC, MoCA, and consumer protection authorities, but how IndiGo treats passengers is unacceptable.

If everything goes perfectly, IndiGo is fine. But if something goes wrong? Good luck getting any help.

I wouldn’t recommend flying with them. Have others had similar experiences?

Power banks and lithium batteries are not allowed in checked baggage. You bought this onto yourself... checkin agents clearly ask you if you have such devices in your bag and you have similar instructions during online checkin. Good luck trying to get comp for that

Ah, the classic 'blame the passenger' response—how original.

Let’s break this down:

• If IndiGo removed the power bank for safety reasons, they were obligated to inform me and return it, just like other responsible airlines do. Instead? Silence.
• I’ve flown multiple times with my drone, including with Emirates, Qatar, and other full-service airlines, and never had it mysteriously vanish.
• The missing power bank is just one part of this mess. My baggage was delayed for over 50 hours, and my $850 DJI Mini 2 drone disappeared—yet IndiGo refuses to take responsibility for anything.

So no, I didn’t ‘bring this onto myself.’ IndiGo brought this onto themselves with their nonexistent customer service, lack of transparency, and refusal to follow basic aviation standards.

But hey, thanks for the ‘good luck’—I’ll need it dealing with an airline that plays by its own rules. 😉

What was you route?

Were you flying international or domestic? Was your bag locked, if so then was the lock tampered with when you got your bag back?

Yes, Montreal Convention only applies for international flights. For domestic, it will be Indian DGAC rules that apply.

You've described nearly every single company in the service space in India.

This was an international flight: Colombo (CMB) to Mauritius (MRU), with a layover in Bangalore (BLR). My checked baggage was locked when I handed it over, but when I finally received it after 50+ hours, the lock was completely missing.

If IndiGo had removed these items for security reasons, they were obligated to inform me and return them—which they didn’t. If they weren’t removed officially, that means someone tampered with my bag while it was in IndiGo’s custody. Either way, IndiGo is responsible and refuses to take accountability.

Correct, but this was an international flight (CMB-MRU) with a layover in BLR, so the Montreal Convention does apply. Under Article 22(2), the airline is liable for lost or stolen checked baggage up to $1,700 USD

IndiGo, however, claims their internal policies override these international regulations, which is simply not how aviation law works. Instead of following proper procedures, they’ve refused compensation and ignored their responsibility.

Both were probably seized by customs/security in India unless stolen. Carrying power banks in your luggage is a no-no. I think your drone (by weight) falls in the exempt category… but security are bungling idiots. And then there was no communication or coordination between security/customs & 6E. But I would assume that’s why your luggage was held up for so long.

Typical nonsense in India. And then no communication between any agency. You should keep fighting they will at some point offer you some compensation if you escalate. Start with X to leadership, threaten with DCGA etc. etc.

Anything with a battery inside and power banks is not allowed in checked bags and was probably intercepted in transit in India. BCAS makes the rules which CISF implemented. If they removed the drone and power bank it's has been documented. Indigo will take no responsibility for things done by the authorities. Hence good luck with shaming them.
I had a similar case with a friend's son who was on 9W from BKK to AMS via BOM. Bag missed the connection and was delivered days later after being opened with brute force. 9W basically said this happened due to CISF action which they can't be held responsible for.

That’s exactly the issue—zero communication between IndiGo, security, and customs. If my drone or power bank was seized, why wasn’t I informed? Why wasn’t it returned? Instead, I was left in the dark, and IndiGo refused to take any responsibility.

It’s ridiculous that passengers have to fight this hard to get accountability. I’ve already escalated this to DGCA, NCDRC, MoCA, and more. Let’s see if IndiGo finally acknowledges their responsibility or continues to ignore basic aviation standards.

From a few years back i recall Indian Customs seizing a drone from my bag on arrivals. They were not allowing you to bring in any drone (small, large etc). Not sure what the rule is these days.
But this is a case of luggage in transit and the battery issue aside, they shouldn't have knicked the drone.
Wonder if there's some recourse thru Travel Insurance ?

Thank you for your perspective.
However, my issue isn’t with general battery rules—it’s that I received no official notification or documentation that my items were intercepted by security. When my baggage arrived after a 50+ hour delay, the lock was missing, and both my drone and power bank were gone.
If these items were removed under CISF’s orders, IndiGo should have informed me and provided proper documentation.
Instead, I was left in the dark, which is a clear failure in communication and accountability on IndiGo’s part.

Drones of all size / UAVs / RPAS (in switched-off condition and packed appropriately) are allowed in cabin and hold luggage as per BCAS: https://bcasindia.gov.in/#/pages/per...ectronic-items

The bone of contention is Lithium metal batteries (Watt-hour rating not exceeding 100 Wh and lithium metal content not exceeding 2 g) 2 spare/ loose batteries per person: those are not allowed in hold/checked luggage: https://bcasindia.gov.in/#/pages/per...ous-substances

Indigo clearly points this out on their pages: https://www.goindigo.in/baggage/dang...ds-policy.html (power bank: big red X)

The IATA DGR sheet attached to the web page is also pretty clear for devices with Li batteries:

My colleagues in India have a DJI Mavic Air and asked my to bring them some spare batteries in 2021. The CISF guys in BOM went nuts when they saw the 3 spare batteries in my cabin baggage. The fact that the packaging said 'drone' just added fuel to the fire. Fortunately I had the relevant BCAS documents/notifications on hand and argued my way out of the mess. Even though nothing was taken away the incident was duly recorded in a register and both the supervisor and I had to sign the ledger. This year I saw in DEL & BLR that any discussion/discovery was registered electronically (china style) by the CISF crew. I seriously doubt the drone was stolen. Its probably lying on some shelf with a tag.