IndiGo crisis: India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a notice to Pieter Elbers, CEO of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company and operator of IndiGo, demanding an explanation for one of the country’s worst air travel disruptions.
Indigowhich controls nearly 66% of the domestic aviation market, canceled hundreds of flights last week, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at major Indian airports. The crisis was triggered by an acute shortage of pilots as the airline failed to adequately prepare for new, stricter pilot duty rules that mandate extended rest periods effective November 1.
Read also | IndiGo flight cancellation fiasco: Piles of luggage spotted at Delhi airport The airline has confirmed that it did not take timely measures to introduce stricter regulations governing night flying and weekly rest for pilots. Photo: HT
Airline company confirmed its failure to plan, saying it did not take timely action to introduce stricter regulations governing night flying and weekly rest for pilots. This misstep, coupled with the peak travel season for holidays and weddings in December, led to an immediate collapse of the flight schedule.
In a notice issued on Saturday, the DGCA alleged that CEO Elbers had “failed” in his duty to “ensure timely arrangements for conducting reliable operations and availability of necessary facilities for passengers”.
The civil aviation watchdog has given IndiGo just 24 hours to explain why it should not face regulatory action. Photo: HT
Reacting to the crisis, shares of IndiGo fell as much as 8% on Monday, the steepest decline in eight months. The airline initially expressed confidence that normal operations would stabilize by Wednesday, but the civil aviation watchdog gave the company only 24 hours to explain why it should not face regulatory action.
Read also | IndiGo Chaos: How Pilot Fatigue Controversy Landed DGCA in Supreme Court
At the same time, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced that the government was launching an inquiry into the matter and promised to take action that would set an “example” for all airlines.
The government has accused the airline of failing to manage crew rosters and services during day-to-day operations, Photo: HT
Accusing the airline of failing to manage crew and schedule through its day-to-day operations, Naidu said: “We are not taking this situation lightly. We are investigating. We will take very, very strict action not only in this situation but also as an example.”
The operational disruption continued this week, with IndiGo canceling 127 flights in Bengaluru and 32 in Mumbai on Monday alone, airport sources told Reuters.
The cancellations led to chaotic scenes at airports. Photo: HT
At the height of the crisis, over 1,000 flights were canceled on Friday, representing almost half of the carrier’s typical daily services. The cancellations led to chaotic scenes captured on social media, showing frustrated passengers confronting and confronting reception staff, demanding upgrades or simply returning their checked bags.
IndiGo’s flight cancellations have left thousands of passengers stranded. Photo: HT
“IndiGo will definitely be taken up by the government,” said Vandana Singh, president of the Federation of Aviation Industries of India. Bloomberg Television on Monday.
IndiGo’s crisis was triggered by an acute shortage of pilots as the airline failed to adequately prepare for the new, stricter rules for pilot duty. Photo: HT
The government is “making a bold statement that this kind of abuse of dominance or artificial accommodation will not work,” Singh added.
