DGCA committee calls IndiGo top brass for questioning in flight disruptions: Sources

Top executives of IndiGo, including CEO Pieter Elbers, have been summoned by a high-level committee set up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to probe the ongoing disruptions that have plagued India’s largest airline since December 2, sources told India Today.

The four-member committee, empowered by the DGCA, is investigating prima facie evidence of non-compliance by the IndiGo management. The airline is expected to face questioning later this week.

This comes as IndiGo announced plans to operate over 1,800 flights on December 8 — reconnecting its full network for the first time since the wave of cancellations began. The airline said there has been “considerable and consistent improvement” in operations over the past 48 hours.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu blamed the crisis on an “operational issue created by IndiGo” while answering a query in Rajya Sabha today. He said that while the ministry remained in constant touch with the airline, it failed to manage its pilot rosters even with a month’s notice before new duty-time regulations came into effect.

Naidu reaffirmed the government’s stance on safety and regulatory adherence. “We care for the safety of the pilots. We care for the safety of the entire system, and that is why we have made it very, very clear for all airlines that they have to follow the rules,” he said.

He added that while the DGCA had been engaging with all airlines since November 1 and acknowledged some operational issues, there had been no compromise on safety norms. Minor adjustments were allowed, but airlines were expected to comply fully.