IndiGo crisis: DGCA issues show-cause notice to CEO Pieter Elbers amid flight cancellations- 'But you have failed…'

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers amid ongoing flight cancellations and delays across India.
The aviation regulator stated that the airline failed to provide requisite information and facilities to their passengers.
Stating that scheduled flights of the airline have recently faced massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship and distress to passengers, DGCA added, “it has been noticed that the primary cause of said flight disruptions is non- provisioning of adequate arrangements to cater to the revised requirements for smooth implementation of the approved FDTL scheme for the airline.”
“As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airlines, but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers,” reads the show-cause notice.
Elbers has been directed to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of the notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated against him under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements.
“Failure to submit your reply within the stipulated period shall result in the matter being decided ex-parte.”
The DGCA has also constituted a four-member committee to review the factors behind the recent large-scale operational disruptions, which will assess gaps in crew planning, operational preparedness and compliance with revised FDTL norms.
Meanwhile, the government said that normalcy has been restored at airports across the country and passengers are being provided necessary facilities.
“The airport management, security personnel, airline staff, and ground handling services are ensuring that passenger comfort and safety are top priority. All stranded passengers were taken care to minimize inconvenience,” said the Airport Authority of India (AAI)
The Ministry of Civil Aviation also ordered all airlines to maintain strict adherence to prescribed fare caps for domestic flights. However, the cap is not applicable for business class and UDAAN flights.
Fare caps
Up to 500 kilometres: ₹7,500
500-1,000 kilometres: ₹12,000
1,000-1,500 kilometres: ₹15,000
Above 1,500 kilometres: ₹18,000
These caps, excluding passenger service fees (PSF) and taxes, will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises.
The Ministry also noted that it will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms.
‘Clear pending refunds’
The aviation ministry has also directed the airline to complete the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights by 8:00 PM on December 7, 2025.
The airline has also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations.
‘95% of network connectivity established’
IndiGo said that it has re-established over 95% of network connectivity and the airline is able to operate to 135 out of the existing 138 destinations in operations.
“The main objective was to reboot the network, systems, and rosters so that we could start afresh today with a higher number of flights, improved stability, and there are some early signs of improvement,” said the airline.