IndiGo flight disruptions: DGCA suspends 4 personnel; airline’s top officials to appear before probe panel

Aviation safety regulator DGCA has suspended four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) over the massive disruptions in IndiGo’s operations, which led to thousands of flight cancellations and left lakhs of passengers stranded across airports.

FOIs are senior officials within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, responsible for regulatory and safety oversight. They are deployed to monitor airline operations, inspecting, auditing and certifying airlines and personnel such as pilots, dispatchers and cabin crew to ensure compliance with safety standards.

“Four Flight Operations Inspectors at the DGCA have been suspended in connection with the recent large-scale disruptions in IndiGo’s flights,” a source said.

IndiGo cancelled 54 flights — 31 arrivals and 23 departures — from Bengaluru Airport on Friday. The crisis-hit airline had cancelled more than 200 flights from Delhi and Bengaluru on Thursday.

Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras will appear again before the DGCA’s investigation panel at 2 pm on Friday. The regulator on Thursday intensified its scrutiny of IndiGo, with officials stationed at the airline’s headquarters to monitor operations, and the inquiry panel questioning Elbers.

Elbers, who appeared before the DGCA-constituted panel on Thursday, has been asked to return for a second round of questioning.

The four-member committee comprises Joint Director General Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior FOI Kapil Manglik and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The panel has been tasked with identifying the root causes of the disruptions at the country’s largest airline.

Its mandate includes reviewing manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems and IndiGo’s preparedness to implement the revised duty time and rest norms for pilots that came into effect on November 1.
(With PTI inputs)