IndiGo Flight Cancellations Live: Aviation watchdog stations officials at IndiGo office, sets up 8-member oversight team

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has formed an 8-member Oversight Team to closely monitor operations at IndiGo.
As part of this exercise, two members of the oversight team will be stationed daily at IndiGo’s Corporate Office.
DGCA officers will physically monitor multiple operational parameters, including:
Fleet availability
Pilot strength
Crew duty hours and utilisation
Standby crew deployment and preparedness
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed its officers to conduct immediate on-site inspections at 11 airports as disruptions linked to IndiGo’s operations continue. Officials have been tasked with assessing safety standards, operational preparedness, passenger facilitation measures, and airline responsiveness during the ongoing crisis. According to the DGCA order, all assigned officers must visit their respective airports within the next 2–3 days and submit a comprehensive report to the DGCA headquarters within 24 hours of completing their inspection.
The Delhi HC recorded IndiGo’s submission that it is among the best airlines in South Asia and that the crisis was triggered by unforeseen circumstances. As an enquiry is already underway, the Court said it would refrain from making findings on the reasons behind the crisis. Its observations, it stressed, are aimed solely at ensuring public interest and guiding government authorities and IndiGo toward corrective action.
Counsel for IndiGo, appearing before Delhi HC, submitted that the disruption was not solely due to rostering but a combination of factors, including a technical glitch. The airline said it is cooperating with the enquiry and is already operating at about 90 percent capacity. The Court, however, pressed IndiGo on compensating passengers and addressing reports of hostile staff behaviour.
The Delhi High Court said the government must restore normalcy at the earliest without compromising safety. IndiGo, it added, must employ adequate pilots and comply fully with FDTL provisions. It also said all authorities and IndiGo should ensure early compensation for stranded passengers.
The High Court noted that the DGCA has constituted a four-member committee after finding prima facie lapses in operational oversight and planning. The committee will review the causes of the disruption, assess manpower planning, roster preparedness for FDTL compliance, examine whether IndiGo took adequate steps to restore operations, and identify responsibility. The DGCA has also issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo.
The Delhi High Court was on Wednesday informed of a DGCA circular reiterating mandatory Civil Aviation Requirements. Following the disruption, the DGCA and MoCA acted swiftly, issuing relaxations through a 5 December letter allowing adjustments to pilot weekly rest rules solely to address exigencies without diluting FDTL. Additional one-time exemptions were granted to IndiGo, and fare caps were imposed to control unreasonable price surges by other airlines. The ministry and DGCA assured the Court that they were treating the matter with utmost seriousness.
The Delhi High Court noted that the PIL raises substantial concerns over the widespread disruption triggered by large-scale IndiGo flight cancellations and delays. The Court observed that disruptions continue even today, leaving passengers stranded nationwide, with children and senior citizens facing health issues. It said reports indicate that IndiGo staff had not attended to stranded passengers in a manner expected under statutory duty and in a civilised society.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers for a meeting on Thursday at 3 pm, directing him to appear with comprehensive operational data as the regulator reviews the airline’s massive operational crisis.
Advocate Chetan Sharma told the Court that the government had long sought to implement revised FDTL norms and had capped fares as a strict regulatory measure. The court, however, observed that the cap was imposed only after several days, despite the rapid escalation of disruptions.
Expressing strong concern over soaring airfares, the Delhi High Court has noted that tickets previously available for around Rs 5,000 were now being sold at Rs 35,000–40,000. It questioned how other airlines were being allowed to “take advantage of a crisis."
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sharply questioned the government over the ongoing IndiGo flight cancellations, calling it a “serious crisis” and seeking details on the latest measures taken to address the situation. The Bench asked why the crisis was allowed to escalate, who is responsible, and what concrete steps have been taken to assist stranded passengers, compensate them, and ensure service-provider accountability.
The government is preparing to hand over IndiGo’s 10% curtailed flight operations to other airlines, sources said, a move triggered by the week-long meltdown that forced hundreds of cancellations across the country’s busiest routes. Read full story here
The government is preparing to redistribute 10 percent of IndiGo’s curtailed operations to other airlines, sources said on Tuesday. The share being reassigned is roughly equal to the combined passenger load of Akasa and SpiceJet. Air India added 12 flights to its schedule on December 9 as the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) reviewed operational readiness across carriers. IndiGo will keep flying to all current destinations, though high-demand routes may see adjustments as the DGCA has directed a 10 percent schedule reduction, especially on high-frequency sectors. Top officials met at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan on Tuesday to assess operational status, available resources, passenger care and technical preparedness. Officials said redistribution will be calibrated to avoid secondary cancellations at receiving airlines.