DGCA submits probe report into IndiGo fiasco; 'exemplary' action likely now

NEW DELHI: The stage is now set for “exemplary” govt action against IndiGo — a likely combination of steep fines along with regulatory glare on some airline officials among other things — for its schedule collapse earlier his month that affected over 5,000 flights and left lakhs of passengers stranded.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday evening submitted its report on the “circumstances leading to operational disruptions” to the civil aviation ministry, which is also expected to shed light on why only the airline’s domestic network collapsed while international flights were barely affected.


Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu had said in Parliament govt will take “exemplary” action against IndiGo once the probe is over. “An enquiry committee, headed by (DGCA’s) joint DG Sanjay K Bramhane, submitted its report Friday evening. The report is confidential,” said a ministry spokesperson.

It is learnt that the accountable manager of the airline, an expat, could have his approval withdrawn. While a number of factors led to the schedule collapse at India’s largest domestic airline, the failure of its operations control centre and a breakdown of trust between pilots and expats-led management added fuel to the fire.

“We are not taking this situation easily. We are conducting an inquiry. We will take very, very strict action not only for this situation but also (to set) an example,” Naidu had said on Dec 8 in Parliament.

Govt wants IndiGo to set its house in order given the critical role the airline plays in Indian vacation with over 64% domestic market share and also being the largest airline in terms of international traffic. In banking parlance, IndiGo and Air India Group are now “too big to fail” as all other players in the domestic market are either fledgling or struggling to survive.

The unprecedented scale of flight disruptions — close to 5,000 — witnessed earlier this month is expected to lead to record penalties. IndiGo had cancelled only 2.4% of its 2,702 international flights between Dec 1 and 9. Domestic cancellations were 10 times higher at almost 25% of the 17,404 scheduled flights not being operated during the same time.

IndiGo is also probing this collapse but govt action is going to be decided on the basis of the DGCA report. The regulator’s probe panel under joint DG Bramhane was set up on Dec 5, to “identify the underlying causes leading to widespread operational disruptions.”

The panel was also to “assess the adequacy of manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems, and implementation preparedness in the context of (new flight duty norms for pilots). Review the extent of compliance with the revised FDTL provisions, including analysis of gaps admitted by the airline. Ascertain the accountability and responsibility for planning failures that led to the breakdown of operational stability.”

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