The Directorate General of Civil Aviation appointed panel probing the large-scale disruption in IndiGo's flight operations is likely to summon the airline's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The move comes as the aviation regulator tightens scrutiny over what led to hundreds of flight cancellations and severe inconvenience to passengers across the network.
Panel to examine planning and preparedness
The four-member committee has been mandated to identify the root causes behind the operational breakdown. It comprises Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Guupta, senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The panel will closely examine manpower planning, fluctuating crew rostering systems and the airline’s readiness to implement the latest duty period and rest norms for pilots.
Focus on FDTL compliance
Announced by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on December 5, the panel will also review IndiGo's compliance with the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation provisions. This includes assessing gaps admitted by the airline and fixing accountability for planning failures that resulted in widespread disruptions. "The panel is likely to summon IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday as part of the ongoing probe into the disruption of the airline's flight services at such a scale," a source told news agency PTI.
What triggered the disruption
IndiGo had informed the DGCA last Friday, after cancelling nearly 1,600 flights out of its daily schedule of around 2,300, that "the operational challenges mainly erupted due to revised phase-2 Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) and that it could adequately anticipated, crew planning and rostering preparedness were insufficient in widespread disruption". The committee has been directed to submit its report within 15 days.
Show cause notices already issued
Even as the probe continues, the DGCA has already issued show cause notices to both Elbers and Porqueras over the disruptions. They were asked to submit their replies by 6 pm on Monday. The revised FDTL norms, applicable to all domestic airlines, were rolled out in two phases from July 1 and November 1 this year.
Why airlines opposed new norms
The latest rules increase weekly rest periods to 48 hours, extend night hours, and cap night landings at two instead of six. These changes were initially opposed by domestic carriers including IndiGo and Tata Group owned Air India. However, following Delhi High Court directions, the DGCA implemented the norms in a phased manner, with certain relaxations. IndiGo has currently secured temporary relief from the second-phase norms until February 10. The rules were originally planned for March 2024, but airlines sought a gradual rollout, citing the need for additional crew.
