Govt sacks 4 DGCA officials as Indigo meltdown triggers sweeping aviation crackdown

In a decisive escalation of its response to the IndiGo crisis, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has dismissed four flight operations inspectors who were directly responsible for overseeing the airline’s functioning.

The move comes on the very day IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned by the regulator to explain the airline’s slow restoration of services and its recruitment practices amid a crippling staff shortage.

The sackings announced without an official reason mark the first major administrative action since IndiGo’s massive operational collapse last week, which left lakhs of passengers stranded as thousands of flights were cancelled.

Flight operations inspectors are tasked with monitoring compliance and safety, placing the accountability squarely on those supervising India’s largest carrier.

Meanwhile, Elbers has been asked to appear for two consecutive days before a four-member high-level committee probing the root causes of the breakdown. The panel is examining why IndiGo, with a commanding 65% domestic market share, buckled so dramatically — and whether internal lapses contributed to the chaos.

Govt tightens grip on Indigo

The DGCA has begun round-the-clock monitoring of IndiGo’s operations from the airline’s own headquarters, including tracking refunds to affected passengers. Officials have been instructed to file daily reports as the Centre ramps up oversight.

This follows the government’s directive asking IndiGo to cut 10% of its flights as it scrambles to stabilise operations. The airline, which saw more than 1,000 flights grounded on December 5 alone, has since begun to recover. On December 11, IndiGo operated roughly 1,950 flights, and its on-time performance — which had plunged to 30% last week — has rebounded to over 92% in the past two days.

At the heart of the crisis are the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms that took effect on November 1. Already stretched thin, IndiGo struggled to rework rosters under the new rules, triggering widespread crew shortages.

However, several aviation experts contend the disruption may have been a calculated attempt to pressure the government into rolling back the new norms — a claim that has intensified scrutiny even further.

With the regulator now tightening the screws and the government signaling zero tolerance, the IndiGo turmoil has entered a new phase — one marked by accountability, inquiry, and unprecedented intervention.