The nationwide aviation crisis triggered by IndiGo’s massive wave of flight cancellations intensified on Friday after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) for “serious lapses” in oversight. According to officials familiar with the development, the inspectors were responsible for monitoring IndiGo’s operational safety but failed to flag issues that eventually snowballed into widespread disruption at airports across the country.
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded this week after IndiGo cancelled a significant portion of its schedule, prompting the aviation regulator to take aggressive corrective measures. DGCA teams have now been stationed across major Indian airports, with top officials conducting on-ground inspections to examine everything from crew deployment to fleet utilisation.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers appeared before the regulator on Thursday and has been summoned again for a detailed review on Friday. A four-member inquiry panel—comprising Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy DG Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal—has been tasked with determining the root causes of the airline’s operational breakdown. The committee will also probe manpower shortages, crew rostering practices, and IndiGo’s readiness to comply with the updated pilot duty and rest rules introduced on November 1.
Amid mounting public anger, IndiGo has rolled out an expanded compensation package for passengers severely affected by cancellations. The airline said it will issue travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 to those who faced major disruptions. These vouchers are valid for travel over the next 12 months and are in addition to government-mandated compensation ranging between ₹5,000 and ₹10,000 for flights cancelled within 24 hours of departure.
