The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to present comprehensive data and updates regarding the network-wide severe disruptions in the airline’s flight operations. Elbers has been instructed to appear before the DGCA on Thursday at 3 pm, accompanied by senior officials from all relevant departments.
The decision to call the management comes a day after the government ordered a 10% curtailment in IndiGo’s schedule on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the DGCA also granted IndiGo’s CEO a one-day extension to submit a detailed report on the recent operational disruptions.
DGCA Demands Management Accountability
According to the DGCA, the airline will present information on key aspects of the disruption and the mitigation measures adopted. These include the restoration of flights, recruitment plans for pilots and cabin crew, passenger refunds for cancelled flights, clearance of piled-up baggage at airports, timely communication to passengers, and re-routing arrangements for those affected by cancellations.
Both the aviation regulator and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have been holding frequent meetings with IndiGo in light of the crisis, which has resulted in numerous daily flight cancellations since the middle of last week, severely impacting airline operations nationwide.
Despite the IndiGo CEO’s claim that the airline’s operations were back on track, IndiGo cancelled nearly 220 flights on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the airline had stated that it would operate 1,900 flights on Wednesday. Following the mandated 10% reduction, the airline will now have 1,980–2,070 daily flying slots.
Two Dedicated Teams Deployed
On Wednesday, the DGCA constituted an eight-member oversight team to monitor IndiGo’s operations amid large-scale disruptions.
According to the order, the team comprises senior flight operations inspectors: Capt Vikram Sharma, Capt Kapil Mangalik, Capt VP Singh, Capt Apoorva Agarwal, Capt Swati Loomba, Capt Aman Suhag, Capt Nitya Jain, and Capt NJ Singh.
Two members from the group will be stationed daily at IndiGo’s corporate office in Gurgaon.
The DGCA has directed the team to review deadheading requirements for flight duty, crew under training, split duties, and all categories of unplanned leave, including sick, casual, and emergency leave.
Officials will also monitor the number of flights operated each day, crew availability, and the extent of sectors affected by crew shortages. Standby crew strength—both cockpit and cabin—will be checked daily at each base.
In a parallel move, two additional officers, Aishveer Singh (Deputy Director, AED) and Mani Bhushan (Senior Statistical Officer), have been deployed at the Gurgaon office to oversee cancellation status for domestic and international flights, refund progress for both airline and OTA bookings, on-time performance, compensation under DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), and baggage return timelines.
Both teams have been instructed to submit a daily report by 6 pm to the Joint Director General (Administration) and Joint Director General Jai Prakash Pandey.
Last week, the DGCA had already appointed a four-member committee comprising senior government officials to probe the disruptions. The committee has been mandated to identify the root causes behind the operational breakdown. It includes Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal.