DGCA suspends 4 flight inspectors amid IndiGo crisis, CEO summoned again
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Amid the massive turmoil in the country's aviation system, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday took a major and strict step and suspended four of its Flight Operation Inspectors (FOIs) with immediate effect. These officers handled crucial responsibilities such as monitoring airline safety, pilot training, and compliance with operational regulations. This action by the regulatory body comes at a time when IndiGo Airlines is grappling with a severe crisis and its CEO Peter Elbers is expected to appear before the DGCA today.
The crisis at IndiGo Airlines has escalated over the past few days. Last Friday, over 1,600 IndiGo flights were cancelled across the country, in what is believed to be the biggest disruption in Indian aviation history. The main reason for this massive disruption is being attributed to the airline's failure to implement Phase 2 of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and gross mismanagement of crew rosters and staff management. The government has also clarified that the airline's poor planning and management are entirely responsible for this situation.
In view of the huge inconvenience being faced by the passengers, the government has taken several strict measures. On the one hand, strict deadlines have been set to ensure timely refunds for cancelled flights, while on the other hand, other airlines have been directed to keep ticket prices under control so that they cannot take advantage of the situation. Apart from this, to reduce the pressure, IndiGo has been directed to reduce its daily flights by 10%. According to news agency PTI, after this reduction, IndiGo will now operate around 1,950 flights, carrying around 3 lakh passengers, whereas normally in winter the airline operates around 2,300 flights daily.
The severity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that on Thursday, the DGCA deployed its officials directly to IndiGo's headquarters to monitor the situation live. That same day, there were reports of over 200 flight cancellations at Delhi and Bengaluru airports. Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu informed Parliament that IndiGo had not even indicated any potential problems during a meeting held on December 1st, making the crisis even more profound and shocking.