• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, holding him responsible for a severe operational crisis that led to widespread flight disruptions. Over the course of a week, thousands of passengers were left stranded across the country, while nearly 1,000 flights were cancelled in a single day.

For five days in a row, IndiGo has seen significant flight disruptions with hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, causing hardships to thousands of passengers.

The DGCA has demanded an explanation from Elbers as to why the airline should not face a penalty, citing the "widespread inconvenience" caused to travellers. The regulator has also warned that a failure to provide a satisfactory response could result in significant financial sanctions being imposed on the airline.

This action represents one of the most significant interventions by the DGCA in recent years and follows widespread public outcry over what officials described as "massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship, and distress to passengers."

According to the DGCA, the crisis stemmed from IndiGo's failure to make "adequate arrangements" for the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots, a change that had been announced months in advance and came into effect on November 1. The regulator pointed out that the airline's inability to adjust its rosters and resources in time led to a cascading series of problems, including widespread cancellations, delays, crew shortages, and general operational disruption across its network of 138 destinations.

The notice from the DGCA explicitly states, "It has been observed that scheduled flights of M/s IndiGo Airlines have recently faced massive disruptions resulting in severe inconvenience, hardship, and distress to passengers."

ALSO READ: 'Capping Airfare To Restoration Of 95% Of Connectivity': How IndiGo, Authorities Acted Amid Chaos At Airports | Updates

"It has also been noticed that the primary cause of the said flight disruptions is the non-provisioning of adequate arrangements to cater to the revised requirements for smooth implementation of the approved FDTL scheme for the airline," the notice read.

The regulator also pointed to violations of several aviation rules, accusing the airline of failing to comply with Rule 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, as well as multiple Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) related to duty periods. Additionally, the notice highlighted the airline's failure to provide passengers with essential information, assistance, or facilities during the cancellations and delays, in violation of their rights under aviation regulations.

The show-cause notice directly addresses Elbers' responsibility as CEO, holding him accountable for ensuring the effective management of the airline and the smooth running of its operations. The document states, "As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline. You have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for the conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to passengers."

Elbers has been given 24 hours to respond to the notice, after which the DGCA will "decide the matter ex parte," potentially leading to penalties ranging from financial fines to operational restrictions on the airline.

The regulator has also issued a show cause notice to IndiGo's Accountable Manager.

On Saturday, various measures were initiated by the ministry as part of efforts to normalise flight operations as well as ensure passenger hardships are reduced.

ALSO READ: IndiGo Flight Chaos: Railways Announces 84 Special Trains To Assist Stranded Passengers After Mass Cancellations

The ministry has temporarily capped airfares except for business class tickets in the range of Rs 7,500 to Rs 18,000 depending on the distance covered by a flight.

Besides, IndiGo has been directed to complete ticket refund process for cancelled and delayed flights by 8 pm on Sunday and also deliver baggage separated from the passengers within the next 48 hours.

IndiGo, the country's largest airline that generally operates around 2,300 flights, recorded the lowest On Time Performance (OTP), an indicator of punctuality, of 3.7 per cent on December 5.

( With Inputs from Agenices )

 

Also In News