IndiGo crisis: DGCA forms 8-member oversight team, sends officials to airline’s corporate office

IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers has been directed to be present at the DGCA office at 3 pm on Thursday, the regulator said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before the aviation regulator on December 11, as scrutiny intensifies over the airline’s large-scale operational disruptions.

The regulator has also established a multi-member oversight team, stationed at IndiGo’s corporate office in Gurugram, to examine various operational parameters, including the airline’s fleet, pilot strength, crew utilisation, and instances of unplanned leave.

According to the directive, the eight-member team will review total fleet size, average stage length, pilot numbers, daily flight operations, crew availability, network planning, training schedules, split duties and standby crew levels.

Two officers posted at the Gurugram office will specifically monitor domestic and international flight cancellations, refund processing, on-time performance, compensation provided to passengers, and baggage return status.

The teams have been instructed to submit a daily report by 6 pm, ensuring continuous oversight until operations stabilise.

IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers has been directed to be present at the DGCA office at 3 pm on Thursday, the regulator said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the CEO, along with senior officials from all relevant departments, has been instructed to attend the meeting. The airline has been asked to furnish information on flight restoration, the recruitment plan for pilots and crew, the updated strength of pilots and cabin crew, the number of flights cancelled, and refunds processed, among other operational details.

Following days of large-scale disruptions that saw thousands of flights being cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, the DGCA had earlier appointed a committee to probe the crisis.

The four-member committee comprises Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The panel has been tasked with identifying the root cause of the operational breakdown, including assessing IndiGo’s manpower planning, its fluctuating crew rostering systems, and the airline’s preparedness to implement new pilot duty and rest norms.

Announced by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on December 5, the probe will also review IndiGo’s compliance with the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. The regulator said the committee will examine the gaps acknowledged by the airline and determine accountability for planning failures that triggered the widespread disruption.