The post DGCA Forms Eight-Member Oversight Panel as IndiGo Faces Major Crew Shortage Crisis appeared first on The Edge Media.
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As per the order issued on Wednesday, the team will include a deputy chief flight operations inspector, several seniorflight operations inspectors (FOIs), and additional FOIs.
read also: DGCA Summons IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers Over Operational Disruptions
Two members of this group will be stationed at IndiGo’s corporate headquarters every day. Their responsibilities include examining the airline’s total fleet strength, the average distance covered per flight, pilot availability, network planning, crew duty hours, and the number of personnel currently undergoing training.
These officials will also monitor daily flight operations, unplanned staff absences, the number of sectors impacted by crew shortages, and the availability of standby cockpit and cabin crew at each base.
In addition, the DGCA is assigning a senior statistics officer and a deputy director to the airline’s headquarters. Their task is to track domestic and international cancellations, refund processing, punctuality, compensation provided to travellers as per regulations, and the handling of baggage.
Both sets of officials are required to send a detailed daily report by 6 p.m. to Joint Director General (Administration) Harish Kumar Vashishth and Joint Director General Jai Prakash Pandey.
IndiGo has been grappling with significant operational delays and cancellations for over a week. The disruptions began after the implementation of a revised crew rostering framework, which mandates longer rest periods for pilots and other staff, thereby limiting crew availability and impacting flight schedules.
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]]>The post DGCA Summons IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers Over Operational Disruptions appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>read also: IndiGo Begins Regaining Operational Stability After Days of Severe Flight Disruptions
The DGCA has asked Elbers to submit comprehensive data on the disruptions, including flight restoration efforts, recruitment plans for pilots and crew, updates on the airline’s staffing, and details regarding flight cancellations and refunds.
Elbers has been instructed to attend the meeting at 3 pm, along with senior officials from all relevant departments of IndiGo.
In addition to the report, the DGCA has outlined a series of specific areas for examination. The airline has been asked to provide information on its pilot and crew recruitment plan, the updated number of flight cancellations, and the status of refunds processed. The meeting will also cover the airline’s strategies to address the underlying issues causing these disruptions, including an assessment of its manpower planning and fluctuating crew rostering systems.
The crisis, which led to thousands of cancelled and delayed flights, prompted the DGCA to form a four-member committee to investigate the root causes of the operational breakdown. The panel includes Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal. The committee has been tasked with closely analyzing IndiGo’s crew management, its readiness to implement revised flight duty time regulations, and any gaps in compliance with duty period and rest norms for pilots.
The investigation was officially announced on December 5 by DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai. The committee is expected to focus on holding IndiGo accountable for the planning failures that contributed to the widespread flight disruptions.
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]]>The post Air India Under DGCA Scrutiny Over Flights Operated With Expired ARC appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>A statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation explained that Air India is authorised to issue ARCs for its fleet after conducting an annual examination of maintenance documentation, the physical state of the aircraft, and compliance with regulatory airworthiness norms.
The ARC functions as an endorsement of the aircraft’s primary Certificate of Airworthiness, confirming that it continues to meet mandatory safety and maintenance standards.
After Vistara merged with Air India in 2024, the DGCA assumed responsibility for performing the first ARC renewal for all seventy former Vistara aircraft. The regulator has already issued renewed ARCs for 69 of these aircraft after verifying that the airline met the required conditions.
The remaining aircraft was grounded for an engine replacement shortly after Air India submitted its renewal request. During the downtime, the ARC lapsed, yet the aircraft was cleared to return to service once the engine work was completed.
On 26 November 2025, Air India notified the DGCA that the aircraft had operated eight commercial flights while its ARC was expired, leading the regulator to launch an immediate investigation and order the grounding of the aircraft. The Ministry confirmed that the renewal procedure for the aircraft’s ARC is currently in progress.
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]]>The post DGCA Considers New Rules on Power Bank Use During Flights appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>This move follows an incident on October 19 when a passenger’s power bank caught fire on an IndiGo aircraft while taxiing at Delhi airport for a Dimapur-bound flight. The cabin crew quickly brought the situation under control and prevented further damage.
A senior official stated that the regulator is studying global regulations before finalizing any measures. While some restrictions may be implemented to enhance safety, there are currently no plans to impose a complete ban on carrying or using power banks in flight.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu also confirmed on October 25 that the DGCA is reviewing the matter thoroughly. Existing aviation safety rules already require strict adherence when carrying electronic items containing lithium batteries on board aircraft.
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]]>The post CAA, which is controlled by the Taliban, has written to the DGCA requesting that commercial flights between India and Afghanistan be resumed appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>On August 15, the day Kabul fell to the Taliban, Air India performed the last commercial flight between India and Afghanistan on the Kabul-Delhi route. On August 16, the CAA designated Afghanistan’s airspace “uncontrolled.”
CAA Acting Minister Alhaj Hameedullah Akhunzada petitioned the DGCA to allow commercial flights of Ariana Afghan airline and Kam Air between India and Afghanistan in a letter dated September 7, 2021.
The post CAA, which is controlled by the Taliban, has written to the DGCA requesting that commercial flights between India and Afghanistan be resumed appeared first on The Edge Media.
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