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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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]]>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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read also: IndiGo Announces Full Refunds and Free Rescheduling After Aviation Ministry Directive
According to the civil aviation ministry:
These fare limits exclude applicable charges and do not apply to business class or UDAN flights. The order did not clarify whether the limits cover only economy class or also extend to premium economy.
Under the new structure, flights covering up to 500 kilometres are capped at Rs 7,500, while routes between 500 and 1,000 kilometres have a price ceiling of Rs 12,000. Flights operating between 1,000 and 1,500 kilometres are restricted to Rs 15,000, and any flight exceeding 1,500 kilometres cannot charge above Rs 18,000. This means a Delhi Mumbai flight spanning more than 1,300 kilometres will have an economy fare cap of Rs 18,000.
The ministry said these limits will remain in effect until overall flight operations stabilise. The cap does not include the User Development Fee, Passenger Service Fee, or taxes applicable on air tickets. IndiGo’s operations have been severely affected for at least 5 consecutive days, resulting in widespread cancellations, lengthy delays, and numerous instances of misplaced baggage. On Saturday, the airline cancelled over 400 flights, and on Friday the number of cancellations exceeded 1,000.
According to the ministry’s statement:
Fare levels will be closely monitored through real time data and continuous coordination with airlines and online travel platforms.
It added that any breach of the prescribed limits will result in immediate corrective action in the public interest. The official order noted that disruptions at one major airline have created capacity shortages and triggered unreasonable fare spikes across several sectors. It also stated that these fare limits apply to all forms of booking, whether made directly on the airline’s website or through online travel agencies.
Airlines have been advised to avoid steep or unusual fare increases on routes affected by cancellations. A review of airfare listings on Friday showed extreme spikes, including a one way one stop SpiceJet economy ticket for a Kolkata Mumbai flight on December 6 priced at up to Rs 90,000, and an Air India Mumbai Bhubaneswar ticket costing as much as Rs 84,485.
Industry bodies expressed concern regarding the volatility. Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) President Ravi Gosain said unpredictable price surges weaken consumer trust and create significant challenges for tour operators. He added that while temporary caps offer immediate relief, long term solutions require strong contingency planning, swift capacity expansion, and transparent fare oversight. Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality Board Member Anil Kalsi said the fare cap is essential for protecting passenger rights and called for a permanent policy.
Meanwhile, the ministry has instructed IndiGo to complete all refunds for cancelled flights by Sunday evening and ensure that all separated baggage is delivered within the next two days. In a separate statement, the ministry said the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be finished by 8 pm on Sunday. Airlines have also been asked not to impose rescheduling charges on passengers whose travel plans were affected. IndiGo has been directed to establish dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.
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]]>read also: Mass Flight Cancellations by IndiGo Trigger Chaos at Hyderabad Airport
The company’s stock price has shed more than 7% on the BSE during the last four trading sessions. On Friday, the share price slipped by 1.22% to close at Rs 5,371.30 after touching an intraday low of Rs 5,266. On the NSE, the stock ended the day 1.27% lower at Rs 5,367.50, extending its total four-day decline to over 7%.
Since December 1, InterGlobe Aviation’s market capitalisation has dropped by roughly Rs 16,190 crore, reducing its valuation to around Rs 2.07 lakh crore.
The wider aviation network in India remained disrupted for a fourth consecutive day on Friday as IndiGo, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of domestic air traffic, cancelled more than one thousand flights. All departures from New Delhi were halted at one point, leaving passengers without clear rebooking options and causing significant missed events and lost connections.
The turmoil was triggered by IndiGo’s inability to adequately prepare for new pilot duty-time norms. These rules increase the weekly rest requirement for pilots from 36 to 48 hours and restrict 9 times landings to 2 per week instead of 6. IndiGo acknowledged that the large-scale cancellations were the result of planning errors and misjudgment.
Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers stated on Friday that the airline expects operations to stabilise between December 10 and December 15.
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In addition to outbound disruptions, the airline cancelled twenty one incoming flights from various cities. The previous day had also seen nine cancellations, adding to the growing concern among passengers.
read also: Air India Under DGCA Scrutiny Over Flights Operated With Expired ARC
The situation intensified when videos began circulating on social media showing angry travellers confronting airline staff over the stalled services. One user on X expressed frustration, stating that it was distressing to see Ayyappa devotees forced to protest after lengthy delays.
The user tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Ram Mohan Naidu, while urging authorities to intervene.
Across multiple airports, numerous IndiGo flights faced delays as the airline struggled with a shortage of available crew. A spokesperson for IndiGo acknowledged the disruptions and explained that unavoidable delays and cancellations were caused by a combination of technology issues, congestion at airports, and operational demands.
In a statement on X, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport confirmed that certain IndiGo flights were affected by the airline’s internal challenges. The airport advised passengers to contact IndiGo’s customer support for updated information, while maintaining that overall airport operations remained normal.
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