IndiGo Crisis: DGCA Fires Inspectors, Summons CEO Again Amid Massive Flight Disruptions

New Delhi — India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has terminated four flight inspectors responsible for overseeing IndiGo’s safety and operational compliance, as the airline continues to grapple with a severe operational meltdown.

IndiGo has cancelled thousands of flights this month, a crisis attributed to poor planning, inadequate crew management, and failure to meet enhanced safety requirements. The disruptions have stranded tens of thousands of passengers nationwide.

In the wake of escalating concerns, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been summoned once again by the DGCA and is scheduled to appear before the regulator on Friday.

According to sources, the DGCA dismissed the inspectors after finding serious lapses and negligence in their inspection and monitoring responsibilities.

To regain control over the situation, the DGCA has deployed two dedicated oversight teams to IndiGo’s Gurugram headquarters. These teams are required to submit daily reports by 6 p.m.

The first team is scrutinising operational parameters such as fleet availability, pilot and crew strength, training and utilisation hours, split-duty schedules, unplanned leave, standby crew numbers, and the volume of flight cancellations linked to crew shortages. It is also examining the airline’s route patterns and average stage lengths to assess the full extent of disruption.

The second oversight team is evaluating the passenger impact, including refund processing by both the airline and travel agents, compensation compliance under Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), on-time performance, baggage return timelines, and overall cancellation status.

To stabilise the network, IndiGo has been ordered to reduce operations by 10 per cent. With a pre-crisis schedule of roughly 2,200 flights per day, the mandate implies over 200 daily cancellations.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu criticised the airline, stating that passengers suffered “severe inconvenience” due to IndiGo’s mismanagement of crew rosters, flight timings, and communication systems. Following his meeting with CEO Elbers, the minister directed the airline to adhere strictly to all ministry guidelines, including fare caps and mandatory passenger-support measures.

IndiGo has announced compensation for travellers who experienced extreme delays between December 3 and 5, even as the DGCA continues its probe and prepares to question the airline’s top leadership further.

With inputs from IANS