IndiGo Crisis: DGCA Suspends 4 Flight Operations Inspectors

India's primary aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has taken decisive action following a massive operational meltdown at the country's largest carrier, IndiGo. In a strong message about accountability, the DGCA has terminated the contracts of four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) who were specifically tasked with overseeing IndiGo's operational compliance and safety protocols.

This action comes after preliminary internal investigations suggested significant lapses in monitoring that may have exacerbated the recent crisis.

The official order, dated December 11, confirmed the immediate release of the officers from their duties. A DGCA official stated that the contracts of the four FOIs, who were working with the DGCA on a contractual basis, were terminated directly in relation to the severe operational issues recently faced by IndiGo, Hindustan Times reported.

The inspectors named in the order include Rishi Raj Chatterjee (consultant/Deputy Chief FOI), Seema Jhamnani (Senior FOI), Anil Kumar Pokhariyal (consultant/FOI), and Priyam Kaushik (consultant/FOI). Sources close to the development told News18 that action has been initiated against several other permanent DGCA officials as well.

This abrupt termination is a direct consequence of mounting concerns that the scale of flight disruptions which left thousands of passengers stranded nationwide was partially fueled by inadequate oversight from the aviation watchdog's own personnel.

The crisis, characterized by widespread cancellations, was fundamentally triggered by IndiGo's failure to effectively implement the second phase of new pilot duty and rest norms (FDTL), which became effective on November 1. The government has squarely laid the blame on the airline's "mismanagement" and faulty crew rostering.

In an unprecedented move to regain control and ensure passenger welfare, the DGCA dramatically stepped up its scrutiny of the airline. Regulatory officials have physically stationed themselves at IndiGo's Gurugram headquarters since Wednesday. This on-site presence involves a dedicated oversight panel monitoring all critical daily operations, including flight cancellations, crew deployment logistics, passenger refund processing, and the routes suffering from staff shortages.

The fallout has been substantial. On Thursday alone, the crisis resulted in over 200 cancellations at major hubs like Delhi and Bengaluru. The government intervened by directing IndiGo, which operates a massive network of approximately 2,300 daily flights, to reduce its official winter schedule by 10 per cent.

Even as the airline claimed to have stabilized operations, cancellations persisted, with over 200 flights scrapped on Thursday and 54 more on Friday morning. Data reveals the severity of the crisis, showing approximately 4,290 domestic and 64 international flights cancelled between December 1 and December 9. At the peak of the operational chaos on December 5, a staggering 1,588 domestic flights-nearly 79% of its domestic schedule-were grounded.

Meanwhile, IndiGo's CEO, Pieter Elbers, has been subjected to intense questioning by a four-member DGCA-constituted inquiry panel. He was interrogated for several hours on Thursday and was summoned to reappear on Friday, December 12, to provide detailed explanations. The inquiry committee is specifically tasked with investigating the airline's manpower planning, its fluctuating rostering systems, and its overall preparedness to transition to the revised flight duty norms for its aircrew.