Pilot Groups Allege Corruption at DGCA, Aviation Ministry Before House Committee

Pilot organizations have brought allegations of widespread corruption within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to the attention of a parliamentary committee. This occurred during a meeting convened to address the operational disruptions experienced by IndiGo since early December. These disruptions resulted in the cancellation of over 5,000 flights, impacting approximately 1.25 million passengers.

The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, led by Sanjay K. Jha, organized the meeting. The purpose was to examine the impact of revised rest and duty regulations for pilots, which are believed to have contributed to the extensive flight cancellations due to inadequate crew planning.

Attendees included officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA, as well as senior executives from IndiGo, such as Chief Operations Officer Isidre Porqueras and Senior Vice President (Flight Operations) Ashim Mitra. Representatives from pilot associations like the Airlines Pilots Association India (ALPA-I), the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) were also present. The meeting lasted almost three hours.

During the session, Captain Sam Thomas, president of ALPA, reportedly stated that "corruption at every level" existed within the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA. Following this statement, members of the parliamentary panel requested that ALPA provide evidence to support the allegations. Questions were raised about the DGCA's decision to permit IndiGo to increase its flight operations by 10% during the winter schedule, and whether the regulator properly assessed the airline's readiness to implement the new duty norms. Sources also indicated that pilot bodies voiced concerns about the demanding conditions under which they operate, and how airlines allegedly misinterpret regulations to their advantage.

IndiGo has maintained that the widespread flight cancellations stemmed from a combination of factors. These factors, as previously stated by the airline, include minor technical issues, changes to the winter schedule, adverse weather conditions, air traffic congestion, and the implementation of the new rest and duty regulations for pilots.

The DGCA stated that it consulted with all relevant parties before implementing the new regulations, which took effect on November 1. The agency added that airlines were granted specific exemptions to facilitate the implementation process.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation informed the panel that an investigation is underway regarding IndiGo's operational issues. A four-member committee has been formed to determine the root causes. The parliamentary panel plans to reconvene to further discuss the matter after the Ministry's investigation concludes.