Post by : Rameen Ariff

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has dismissed four flight inspectors responsible for monitoring IndiGo’s safety and operations after the airline faced a major crisis. The officials were removed due to negligence in inspection and failure to ensure compliance with tighter safety regulations.

Earlier this month, IndiGo, India’s largest airline, cancelled thousands of flights, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded across the country. The peak of flight disruptions occurred on December 5, but the airline has since reported that its operations have returned to normal. To ensure close oversight, the DGCA has deployed two teams to the airline’s Gurugram office to monitor crew management, refunds, cancellations, and operational compliance. These teams are required to submit daily reports to the regulator, providing a detailed view of the airline’s performance and challenges.

One DGCA team is reviewing flight operations, including pilot availability, crew utilisation, training schedules, standby staff, flight numbers, unplanned leaves, average stage lengths, and the total number of affected sectors due to crew shortages. The second team is focusing on issues faced by passengers during the crisis, such as refund processing, compensation, flight delays, baggage handling, and the overall cancellation impact.

The DGCA has also instructed IndiGo to reduce its daily operations by 10 percent. With the airline operating around 2,200 flights per day, this reduction affects over 200 flights. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that the curtailment is necessary to stabilise operations and prevent further inconvenience to passengers. He emphasised that the airline must comply with all ministry directives, including fare caps and passenger convenience measures.

In addition, IndiGo announced compensation for passengers "severely impacted" between December 3 and 5. The airline said that affected passengers would receive travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000, valid for any future IndiGo journey within the next 12 months. This compensation is in addition to government-mandated payouts of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for flights cancelled within 24 hours of departure. IndiGo expressed regret over the disruption and reiterated its commitment to providing safe, reliable, and smooth travel experiences for its customers.

This latest move by the DGCA highlights the regulator’s strict stance on airline safety and operational accountability, aiming to prevent future disruptions and restore confidence among air travellers in India.

#Global News