Passengers waiting at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, in Hyderabad, amid continued cancellations of IndiGo flights.
| Photo Credit: G. Ramakrishna
The crackdown on IndiGo began on Wednesday (December 10, 2025) as the Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered nine of its officers to be stationed at the airline’s corporate office to audit the airline’s fleet, pilot and crew utilisation, and monitor flight cancellations, delays, refunds, and passenger compensation status.
Earlier in the day, the DGCA directed crisis-ridden IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers to appear at its office on Thursday (December 11, 2025) and submit a complete report, along with comprehensive data and updates, relating to the recent operational disruptions, a statement said on Wednesday (December 10). Mr. Elbers has been asked to appear at the DGCA office at 3 p.m. on Thursday (December 11).
The DGCA also said that the CEO, along with senior officials from all relevant departments, has been instructed to attend the meeting.
As per the regulator’s order, the airline has been asked to present information on the flight restoration, recruitment plan of pilots and crew, with updated position of pilot and cabin crew strength, number of flights cancelled and refunds processed, among others.
Following large-scale disruptions to its services, which resulted in thousands of flights being cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, the DGCA appointed a panel to probe the disruptions.
The four-member committee has been mandated to identify the root causes behind the operational breakdown. It comprises Joint D.G. (Director General) Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, senior Flight Operations Inspector (FOI) Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The panel will closely examine manpower planning, fluctuating crew rostering systems and the airline’s readiness to implement the latest duty period and rest norms for pilots.
Announced by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on December 5, the panel will also review IndiGo’s compliance with the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) provisions. This includes assessing gaps admitted by the airline and fixing accountability for planning failures that resulted in widespread disruptions.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published – December 10, 2025 03:24 pm IST
