The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued a fresh notice to IndiGo asking it to re-submit its detailed winter schedule, people aware of the development told FE.
Officials said the regulator sought a revised schedule after IndiGo “failed to adhere to the approved winter plan” and did not proactively disclose internal operational disruptions.
“The airline confirmed its ability to comply with FDTL norms on the very day the norms were implemented, yet it failed to do so. The winter schedule has been sought again to ascertain whether IndiGo can handle operations going forward,” a person familiar with the matter said.
What did DGCA say?
The DGCA has asked the airline to re-submit its complete winter operational plan, including flight numbers, aircraft type, origin–destination pairings, departure and arrival timings, weekly frequencies, turnaround times, and any new or withdrawn routes. The airline must also demonstrate adequate aircraft and crew availability, compliance with safety requirements and Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), and adherence to airport slot and capacity norms.
In an email dated November 1, IndiGo had informed the ministry that it was fully compliant with all DGCA-mandated clauses. The airline, along with other carriers, had earlier submitted its Phase-2 crew preparedness details at a meeting on October 12, and reiterated its readiness during the fog-preparedness review on October 23. At both meetings, IndiGo is understood to have assured the regulator that it had sufficient crew strength for seamless winter operations.
Cancellations from November
IndiGo, which operates around 2,250 domestic flights daily, saw around 50 flight cancellations a day in the first 10 days of November due to rostering and operational issues. Cancellations eased to 5–10 a day between November 13 and 24 but began rising again from November 25. The disruption peaked on December 3, driven largely by widespread roster dislocation and internal operational bottlenecks, the official added.