DGCA Panel Submits IndiGo Disruption Report
Inquiry into mass flight cancellations handed to aviation regulator
- Four-member DGCA panel submits report on IndiGo disruptions
- Probe was ordered after over 1,600 flight cancellations
- Revised pilot rest norms flagged as key trigger
- Copies sent to Civil Aviation Ministry and Secretary
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th Dec: The four-member inquiry panel set up to probe the massive flight disruptions at IndiGo earlier this month has submitted its report to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a senior official said on Friday.
The committee, headed by DGCA Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, was constituted on December 5 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the circumstances that led to widespread cancellations and delays across the airline’s network. The report was submitted on Friday evening, with copies also shared with the office of Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, sources said.
While details of the report are not yet public, the inquiry follows a major operational breakdown earlier this month when IndiGo cancelled more than 1,600 flights in a single day.
The regulator had identified inadequate planning in implementing revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms as a key reason for the disruptions. The DGCA subsequently directed IndiGo to cut its winter schedule by 10 per cent and issued show-cause notices to CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras.
In its December 5 order constituting the panel, the DGCA said the situation indicated deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness and compliance planning, warranting an independent examination. The watchdog noted that despite advance regulatory advisories, the airline failed to accurately forecast crew availability, conduct timely training and realign rosters, resulting in cascading cancellations beginning late November.
The Civil Aviation Requirements on FDTL were implemented in two phases — July 1 and November 1 — with the second phase coinciding with the spike in cancellations. The regulator observed that daily cancellations reached 170–200 flights, severely impacting network integrity and passenger convenience.
