IndiGo assures DGCA of operational stability, no cancellations from Feb

Last week, the DGCA had imposed a penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo, issued warnings to senior executives, and directed the airline to remove the head of its operations control from his duties

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday that IndiGo has assured it will maintain operational stability and have adequate flight crew in place from February, following widespread flight disruptions last month caused by lapses in pilot roster planning.

 

According to a statement issued by the aviation regulatory body, the country’s largest airline confirmed during a review meeting that it expects no flight cancellations after February 10, once the temporary relaxations granted to it are withdrawn.

 

IndiGo faced severe operational disruptions in early December, leading to large-scale delays and cancellations across its network. The DGCA said the disruption stemmed from inadequate flight crew management, insufficient operational buffers, and shortcomings in system software support and internal controls.

   

“The airline’s planning processes did not adequately identify operational deficiencies or maintain sufficient operational buffers,” the regulator said in its press note, adding that crew rosters were designed at the limits of permissible duty periods, compromising operational resilience.

 

Last week, the DGCA imposed a penalty of ₹22.20 crore on IndiGo, issued warnings to senior executives, and directed the airline to remove the head of its operations control from his duties.

Temporary relaxations granted in public interest

To stabilise operations and minimise passenger inconvenience, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA permitted limited and temporary operational exceptions related to night duty norms for pilots until February 10.

 

The regulator clarified that these relaxations were allowed “strictly in public interest” and without compromising safety, even as the move drew criticism from pilot unions and safety advocates.

 

Between December 6 and December 30, the DGCA deployed flight operations inspectors and passenger facilitation personnel at IndiGo’s Operations Control Centre and major airports to monitor daily operations and ensure regulatory compliance.

Enhanced oversight and reporting framework

During the stabilisation phase, IndiGo was directed to submit daily, weekly, and fortnightly reports covering flight cancellations, crew availability, standby utilisation, system performance, and other key operational indicators, the DGCA said.

 

The airline was also asked to submit a detailed Corrective Action Plan outlining steps to ensure full compliance with revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.

 

According to the DGCA, IndiGo has so far submitted four weekly reports and three fortnightly reports and has participated in regular review meetings with the regulator.

Adequate pilot strength reported

At the latest review meeting held on January 19, the airline reported adequate pilot availability against projected operational requirements.

 

“As on February 10, the required and available pilot strength indicates sufficient capacity to support approved operations,” the DGCA said, noting that IndiGo reported 2,400 Airbus commanders against a requirement of 2,280, and 2,240 first officers against a requirement of 2,050.

 

Based on these numbers and the approved network, IndiGo assured the regulator of operational stability once the temporary exemptions are withdrawn on February 10.

Regulator to continue monitoring

The DGCA said it will continue close monitoring of IndiGo’s operations, with a focus on roster integrity, crew availability, buffer adequacy, system robustness, and adherence to FDTL norms.

 

“The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA remain committed to safeguarding passenger safety, protecting public interest, and ensuring resilient and compliant airline operations across the sector,” the regulator said.

 

It is to be noted that the development comes a day after the pilots’ body, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), slammed the DGCA for fining IndiGo “too low”, despite the airline having risked passenger safety.