IndiGo Faces Scrutiny as DGCA Investigates Flight Disruptions

DGCA Launches Investigation into IndiGo's Operational Issues

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced on Wednesday that it is looking into the recent disruptions affecting IndiGo flights. The regulatory body has requested the airline to provide explanations for the ongoing issues and outline strategies to mitigate flight cancellations and delays.

IndiGo, the largest airline in India, canceled over 100 flights across various airports on Wednesday, with numerous services experiencing delays. The airline attributed these operational challenges primarily to a shortage of crew members and has implemented a revised schedule for the next 48 hours to stabilize operations.

In its statement, the DGCA confirmed that it is assessing the situation and collaborating with IndiGo to address the cancellations and delays, aiming to alleviate the inconvenience faced by travelers.

IndiGo has been instructed to present the circumstances leading to the current operational challenges to the DGCA headquarters, along with a plan to address the ongoing delays and cancellations.

According to the DGCA, data from IndiGo revealed that 1,232 flights were canceled in November, with 755 of those cancellations attributed to crew and Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

Additionally, 258 flights were canceled due to restrictions related to airports and airspace, while 92 cancellations were linked to failures in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, and 127 were due to other factors.

The DGCA noted that a significant portion of the cancellations stemmed from crew and FDTL compliance issues, as well as airport, airspace, and ATC-related factors, many of which are beyond the airline's direct control. The overall On Time Performance (OTP) for IndiGo in November was reported at 67.7%, a decline from 84.1% in October.

The statement further detailed that 16% of delays were due to ATC issues, 6% were related to crew operations, 3% were caused by airport facility problems, and 8% were attributed to other reasons.

The regulator has provided additional guidance to IndiGo to help streamline the implementation of the revised FDTL regulations.

Proposed corrective actions include enhancing crew planning and scheduling in compliance with FDTL norms, improving coordination with ATC and airports to manage capacity issues, and refining turnaround and disruption management processes.

The initial phase of the FDTL regulations took effect in July, while the second phase, which limits night landings to two instead of six, was implemented on November 1. Although these norms were initially scheduled for March 2024, airlines, including IndiGo, requested a phased implementation due to the need for additional crew.