IndiGo announced on December 6th, that its operations are gradually stabilising after several days of severe disruptions. The airline stated that flight cancellations have sharply reduced and that most of its network has been restored.
read also: Over 400 IndiGo Flights Cancelled as Operational Crisis Deepens Despite Regulatory Relief
However, the recovery comes amid escalating regulatory pressure, as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers. The notice holds him personally accountable for widespread delays and cancellations that affected thousands of passengers across the country.
The aviation regulator directed Elbers to respond within 24 hours, demanding an explanation for the operational breakdown and asking why action should not be taken against him.
The DGCA warned that an inadequate response could lead to significant financial penalties. In its notice, the DGCA said that IndiGo had recently experienced massive disruptions that caused serious inconvenience and distress to passengers.
According to the regulator, the primary cause of the crisis was IndiGo’s failure to prepare for the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation norms. The airline reportedly struggled with crew scheduling, which triggered large scale cancellations, prolonged delays, and a collapse of operations across the network. The DGCA observed that these issues pointed to major shortcomings in planning, supervision, and resource management, amounting to possible non compliance with aviation safety requirements outlined in Rule 42 A of the Aircraft Rules, 937.
The notice stated that the CEO is responsible for ensuring effective management and reliable operations, adding that he had failed to put timely measures in place to maintain smooth functioning and provide necessary facilities to passengers.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also criticised IndiGo. In an interview, he said the government had placed maximum accountability on the airline because the problem originated internally. He expressed surprise that a leading carrier with a long record of strong on time performance had seen its punctuality fall to extremely low levels, calling the trend alarming.
Naidu further said that a committee has been formed to investigate the disruptions and assured that strict action would be taken against those responsible. More than 1500 flights were cancelled within four days during the crisis, though IndiGo said conditions are now improving. The airline announced that it expects to operate over 1500 flights by the end of the day on December 6th and that more than 95% of its network is again functional, covering 135 of its 138b destinations.
IndiGo added that cancellations have fallen below 850 and that teams across departments are working to restore schedules, improve punctuality, and support affected passengers.
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