IndiGo Flight Chaos: DGCA Issues Show-Cause Notice to CEO Elbers

The DGCA has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's CEO over nationwide flight chaos, citing failure to comply with new crew rest rules. Experts have urged strict action, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled across major cities.

As the IndiGo flight delays and cancellation, occurring nationwide continues to cause unsettlement among passengers and travelers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had formally issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers--holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management."

Aviation Experts Weigh In

Aviation Expert Harsh Vardhan reacted to the DGCA's summoning of IndiGo's CEO and Accountable Manager, stating that the government and the DGCA are now realising they should have been more effective going forward. He also urged the government to take strict action in the matter and set an example for other airlines. "The DGCA and the government are now realising that they should have been more effective from the beginning. The initiatives taken by the government over the last two days are a welcome step. The government should take action against the management to set an example for other airlines..." he said.

Aviation Expert Subhash Goyal highlighted that the DGCA wanted to introduce a new rule to ensure crew members get proper rest. He said that all the airlines were given a year to comply with the order; however, IndiGo failed to do so. "The DGCA wanted to introduce a new rule to ensure crew members receive adequate rest and avoid fatigue. The airlines were given one year to comply with the regulations, as they had been informed in advance. Akasa, Air India, Air India Express, and SpiceJet all complied with the directives. Somehow, IndiGo defied this and did not take any action..."

Aviation Expert Sharath Panicker chimed in, saying that the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) began in 2024, underlining that every airline in the nation knew about the rule. "The Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) began last year, with its effective date around 1 July 2024. Once the requirement was promulgated, it became law under the country's domestic framework. Every airline in the country was aware of the new regulation, which primarily addresses the issue of crew member fatigue..." he stated.

Details of the Show-Cause Notice

Meanwhile, in its notice, the regulatory body on Saturday demanded that the CEO explain within 24 hours, following a week of widespread cancellations and delays that have left thousands of passengers stranded across India.

The aviation regulator stated that the "primary cause" of the disruptions was IndiGo's failure to make "adequate arrangements" to meet the revised staffing, duty-time and rostering requirements under the newly implemented Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) scheme.

The DGCA observed that the breakdown in services reflects "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management", amounting to prima facie non-compliance with the provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937 (Rule 42A) and relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on duty periods, flight time limitations and prescribed rest periods for crew.

The regulator also pointed out failures in passenger care, noting that the airline did not provide the mandated information or facilities to affected travellers following cancellations, delays, or denied boarding, in violation of CAR provisions regarding passenger rights.

As per the notice, Elbers must respond within 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the carrier; failure to reply will allow the DGCA to decide the matter ex parte. "You are hereby directed to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of this notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated against you under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the above-mentioned violations," the notice read.

IndiGo and Government Address Passenger Concerns

To address concerns about the refund status of cancelled tickets, IndiGo announced that it will offer automatic refunds for all cancelled bookings and a complete waiver of cancellation or rescheduling charges for travel between December 5 and 15.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) directed IndiGo Airlines to clear all pending passenger refunds without delay. According to an official release, the Ministry has mandated that the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be fully completed by 8:00 PM on Sunday, December 7.

Flight Disruptions and Recovery Efforts

Meanwhile, on Sunday, at least 400 IndiGo flights were cancelled. The airline said it is on track to stabilise its network by December 10.

However, airline CEO Pieter Elbers announced that the airline is recovering from recent disruptions and aims to operate about 1,650 flights to address significant cancellations and delays caused by new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules.

Widespread Cancellations Across Major Airports

Major air terminals, mainly in urban centres, have been hit hardest, with most cancellations concentrated at Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Delhi airports.

Hyderabad, Delhi, and Kolkata Hit Hardest

The worst hit, Telangana's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, saw 115 flights cancelled today, with 54 arrivals and 61 departures affected.

According to a statement from the Delhi Airport, at least 59 departures and 50 arrivals,s totalling 109 flights, have been cancelled today.

Kolkata saw at least 76 flights affected, with 53 departure cancellations and 23 arrivals cancelled. According to a statement from NSCBI Kolkata airport, 14 departures out of 43 between midnight and 10 AM today have been cancelled. Of the 17 arrivals scheduled, 2 had been cancelled, and 2 flights had been delayed by more than 30 minutes.

Disruptions in Other Cities

Ahmedabad, another major urban centre for air travel, saw relatively low cancellations at 27 flights, with 16 arrivals and 11 departures cancelled. However, the airport also clarified that there were "no issues in terminal and airside," with passenger facilitation handled. Out of a combined 226 arrivals and departures scheduled, atleast 33 per cent of IndiGo flights stood cancelled.

In Pune, around 25 flights have been cancelled today, including those that were supposed to go across the country. Alongside, due to airline operational disruptions, Indigo has informed that 18 flights at Pune Airport have been cancelled on December 8.

Meanwhile, in the northeast region, Agartala airport saw 6 IndiGo flights cancelled, including those scheduled to depart for Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Bangalore and Imphal.

In South India, Trichy airport saw five arrivals and six departures cancelled, with only one arrival and three departures operating till Sunday afternoon.

Concluding Directives and Root Cause

The government has directed IndiGo to complete all ticket refunds by Sunday evening and ensure baggage delivery within 48 hours. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has imposed fare caps to control surge pricing and warned of regulatory action if refunds are delayed.

The recent significant disruption to IndiGo flights was primarily caused by the airline's failure to prepare for and comply with new, stricter pilot rest regulations (Flight Duty Time Limitations or FDTL), which came into effect on November 1, 2025. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)