New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended four officials responsible for safety and operational compliance, according to news agency PTI. Details of the action, taken amid IndiGo’s ongoing flight operations crisis, have not yet been made public.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Thursday appeared before a DGCA-appointed panel to present a detailed report on the disruptions. His appearance came on the same day the airline announced ₹10,000 travel vouchers for passengers “severely impacted” by cancellations and delays. Elbers has been directed to appear again today.
Sources said the DGCA has tightened its oversight of IndiGo, monitoring the airline’s operations, refunds and internal processes directly from its headquarters. The regulator has also asked IndiGo to clearly outline the root causes of the disruptions and the corrective steps taken so far.
The government has already ordered IndiGo—India’s largest carrier with nearly 65 percent market share and more than 2,300 daily flights—to cut its winter schedule by 10 percent. Under the revised plan, the airline will operate about 1,950 flights per day.
Meanwhile, political criticism has intensified. Congress MP Mallu Ravi questioned why IndiGo was allowed to deviate from directives that other airlines complied with and why the lapses weren’t reviewed earlier.
A veteran pilot familiar with the situation was quoted saying that the airline became overly focused on profits and stopped listening to its pilots and staff, creating a disconnect that contributed to the crisis.
