DGCA sets up 4-member panel to inquire into IndiGo flight disruptions

Aviation watchdog DGCA has set up a four-member committee to carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances that led to the massive flight disruptions.

The panel members are Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Captain Kapil Manglik and Flight Operations Inspector Captain Rampal, as per an order on Friday.

The committee will submit its findings and recommendations to the DGCA within 15 days to enable necessary regulatory enforcement action and ensure institutional strengthening, the order said.

According to the order, prima facie, the situation indicates deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness, and compliance planning, "warranting an independent examination".

The DGCA said it has issued repeated directions and advance instructions from time to time to the airline for having timely preparation to implement the provisions related to the FDTL norms.

The regulator observed the airline's inability to accurately forecast crew availability, conduct timely training, and realign rosters despite advance regulatory intimation resulted in cascading delays and cancellations across its network beginning late November 2025 leading to non-adherence of the directions.

Subsequently, the watchdog held a review meeting with IndiGo wherein the airline acknowledged that it has failed to anticipate the actual crew requirement under the revised norms and that significant planning and assessment gaps existed in implementing Phase-II of FDTL CAR 2024, as per the order.

The Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) pertaining to FDTL were implemented in two phases -- the first phase came into force from July 1 and the second from November 1.

"This shortfall directly contributed to large-scale disruptions, with cancellations reaching 170-200 flights daily, severely affecting network integrity and passenger convenience. It was noticed in November that the flight cancellations of IndiGo were maximum vis-a-vis other airlines," the order said.