Aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) on Thursday intensified its scrutiny of IndiGo, directing CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before it again on Friday as the airline continues to struggle with operational disruptions. Elbers was summoned on Thursday, and sources said the regulator has sought further clarifications from him after reviewing the airline’s latest submissions.
IndiGo, in a regulatory filing, said that Elbers has been asked to appear before the DGCA committee again on December 12 as part of the ongoing examination into the disruptions.
DGCA Deploys On-Site Monitoring Teams and Audit Panel
Meanwhile, DGCA officials on Thursday began on-site monitoring of IndiGo’s operations from the airline’s Gurugram headquarters. Officials are tracking cancellations, crew deployment, unplanned leave, on-time performance, refunds, and compensation, and are required to file daily reports. Two officers – a senior statistics official and a deputy director – have been stationed at the headquarters to oversee domestic and international cancellations, refund status and baggage handling, according to an order issued on Wednesday.
The regulator has also directed senior DGCA personnel to conduct immediate inspections across 11 domestic airports. Officers assigned to these airports are expected to file their reports to the Director of Operations within 24 hours of each visit. The oversight move follows a sharp spike in cancellations after IndiGo failed to adequately plan for the rollout of revised flight duty time limitations for pilots and crew.
The DGCA had last week set up a four-member committee to identify the root causes of the turmoil at the airline. The panel, comprising Joint Director General Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik and FOI Lokesh Rampal, has been examining IndiGo’s manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems and the carrier’s preparedness to comply with new duty and rest norms for pilots that took effect on November 1.
Cancellation Impact and Regulatory Compliance Failure
IndiGo has cancelled more than 4,000 flights since December 2, with disruptions peaking on December 5 when the airline scrapped 1,600 services in a single day. While the airline said on Tuesday that operations had stabilised, cancellations continued through the week, including 60 flights at Bengaluru airport on Thursday. The carrier, which controls over 65% of the domestic market, has already cut its winter schedule by 10% following a Civil Aviation Ministry directive on December 10.
On its part, the airline has maintained that operations are returning to normal levels, though the regulator’s escalating oversight indicates continuing concerns over its internal processes and compliance with safety-related requirements.