Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 9: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday formed an eight-member special team to closely monitor IndiGo’s operations amid ongoing disruptions that have crippled the airline’s schedule and led to massive passenger congestion at airports across the country. Two members of the team will remain stationed at IndiGo’s corporate headquarters to scrutinise daily processes and identify operational gaps behind the escalating crisis.
IndiGo’s irregular operations, which began on December 3, have resulted in thousands of cancellations and delays, prompting long queues and overcrowded terminals at major airports. In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation initiated a continuous, nationwide evaluation of airport functioning. Senior officials have been dispatched to key airports to assess ground conditions and ensure that stranded passengers receive timely assistance, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu said.
In a detailed post on X, the minister described the situation as “extraordinary circumstances”, noting that the Ministry and DGCA have been monitoring the issue in real time for several days. A high-level review meeting involving top officials from both bodies was convened to examine airport operations, airline responses, and the quality of services provided to disrupted travellers.
Amid mounting pressure, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said on Tuesday that the airline had stabilised operations after days of turmoil caused largely by a severe pilot shortage triggered by the newly implemented flight duty limitation regulations. Elbers declared on X that “IndiGo is back on its feet,” saying the airline had restored its entire network of 138 destinations and was operating more than 1,800 flights a day. “Our operations are fully stabilised as of December 9,” he said, adding that a detailed internal review had begun to assess the root causes of the crisis.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation ordered a 10 per cent reduction in IndiGo’s flight operations after the airline suffered widespread cancellations linked to the pilot shortage. This followed a DGCA directive earlier the same day requiring IndiGo to cut flights by 5 per cent, signalling heightened regulatory scrutiny as the airline works to recover from one of the most disruptive episodes in its history.