DGCA Fires Four Inspectors as IndiGo Crisis Deepens; Daily Oversight Teams Deployed

New Delhi, Dec 2025 : India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has terminated four flight inspectors responsible for overseeing IndiGo’s safety and operational standards, as the airline continues to reel under a massive operational crisis.

The action comes amid IndiGo’s widespread flight cancellations—running into thousands this month—triggered by poor internal planning and failure to comply with tightened safety requirements. The chaos has stranded tens of thousands of passengers nationwide, drawing the government’s sharp attention. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has once again been summoned and will appear before DGCA officials on Friday.

According to sources, the dismissed inspectors were found negligent in performing key inspection and monitoring duties. In response, the DGCA has deployed two dedicated oversight teams at IndiGo’s Gurugram headquarters to monitor the airline round-the-clock. Each team will file daily reports to the regulator by 6 p.m.

The first team is tracking core operational data, including IndiGo’s fleet strength, pilot availability, crew utilisation and duty hours, split-duty patterns, unplanned leave, standby crew readiness, and the number of flights disrupted due to crew shortages. It is also examining training schedules, network planning, and average stage length to assess the depth of the ongoing operational breakdown.

The second oversight team is focused entirely on passenger impact. It is reviewing the status of refunds issued by both the airline and travel agents, compensation mandated under Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), baggage handling, on-time performance, and daily cancellation figures. The DGCA aims to ensure passengers receive timely redressal amid growing dissatisfaction.

To stabilise operations, the regulator has ordered IndiGo to cut its daily flights by 10 per cent. The airline typically operates about 2,200 flights a day, meaning more than 200 flights will now be cancelled daily until schedules normalise.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu criticised the airline for causing “severe inconvenience” due to mismanagement of crew rosters, flight planning, and passenger communication. After meeting IndiGo CEO Elbers, the minister said the airline must comply with all directives, including temporary fare caps and enhanced support for stranded passengers.

As the DGCA investigation continues and IndiGo leadership faces further scrutiny, the airline has announced compensation for passengers who experienced extreme delays between December 3 and 5.

The crisis marks one of the most significant operational setbacks in IndiGo’s history, raising pressing questions about internal oversight and regulatory compliance in India’s aviation sector.

Team Maverick