DGCA Panel Submits Report On IndiGo Flight Disruption Over Pilot Duty Norm Lapses

New Delhi: A four-member enquiry committee set up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to probe IndiGo’s large-scale operational disruptions earlier this month has submitted its report to Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the aviation regulator said on Friday. The committee was constituted on December 5 amid mounting flight cancellations and delays that disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers across the country.

Confirming the submission, the DGCA said in a brief statement that the enquiry committee, headed by Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, had submitted its findings on Friday evening. However, the regulator clarified that the contents of the report remain confidential. Apart from Bramhane, the panel included Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, senior flight operations inspector Kapil Manglik, and flight operations inspector Lokesh Rampal.

The enquiry was ordered after IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, cancelled more than 4,200 flights between December 1 and December 9. At the peak of the disruption, the airline was cancelling between 170 and 200 flights a day, severely affecting its network and passenger convenience. Before the crisis, IndiGo operated around 2,300 flights daily, including about 2,000 domestic services and nearly 300 international flights.

According to the DGCA, the disruption was triggered by IndiGo’s inability to effectively manage its pilot duty rosters following the full implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations last month. The new norms increased mandatory weekly rest requirements for pilots and curtailed the number of hours they can operate night flights, requiring airlines to substantially rework crew planning and scheduling.

While announcing the formation of the committee, the DGCA had pointed out that it had issued repeated directions and advance instructions to IndiGo to prepare for the revised FDTL norms. Despite this, the airline allegedly failed to accurately forecast crew availability, conduct timely training, and realign rosters, leading to cascading delays and cancellations from late November onwards.

The regulator also revealed that during a review meeting held with IndiGo in the first week of December, the airline acknowledged lapses in its planning. IndiGo admitted that it had failed to anticipate the actual crew requirements under the revised norms and that there were significant gaps in the assessment and implementation of the FDTL rules.

The DGCA noted that IndiGo recorded the highest number of flight cancellations among all airlines in November, even before the disruption peaked in December. This, the regulator said, prima facie pointed to deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness, and compliance planning, necessitating an independent examination through the four-member committee.

While the DGCA has not disclosed the recommendations or conclusions of the report, its submission marks a key step in the regulator’s scrutiny of the airline’s operational preparedness and compliance with safety and duty regulations.