In response to significant disruptions in IndiGo’s flight operations last week, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has dismissed four flight operations inspectors (FOIs) who were responsible for monitoring the airline’s compliance with new pilot rest and duty regulations. The FOIs, who were contracted by the DGCA, have been relieved of their duties immediately, according to an official order.
The four inspectors terminated are Deputy Chief FOI Rishi Raj Chatterjee, Senior FOI Seema Jhamnani, and FOIs Anil Kumar Pokhriyal and Priyam Kaushik. Following a series of flight cancellations and delays that severely impacted tens of thousands of passengers, concerns were raised about the DGCA’s oversight of IndiGo.
FOIs, who are typically experienced pilots, are engaged on a contract basis and are prohibited from flying for airlines during their tenure with the DGCA. Their primary responsibility is to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations in airline operations. After the termination of the four inspectors, the DGCA now has 13 FOIs.
IndiGo, which holds a market share of nearly 65 percent as India’s largest airline, faced widespread operational disruptions mainly due to its inadequate preparation for the new crew rest and duty rules that were implemented in two phases, the second of which took effect on November 1. The airline was under-staffed relative to the new requirements, resulting in numerous cancellations daily since last week.
The breakdown of IndiGo’s services led to scrutiny from pilot associations and aviation experts regarding the DGCA’s oversight, particularly about the regulator’s decision to allow an increase in flights for the airline’s winter schedule that commenced on October 26. As a consequence, IndiGo has been instructed to reduce its flight schedule by 10 percent. A four-member DGCA inquiry panel is currently investigating the causes of this disruption to hold accountable those responsible. IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, along with several top officials, will appear before this committee.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu attributed the disruptions to failures on IndiGo’s part, asserting that strict actions will follow based on the inquiry’s findings. He emphasized that adequate notice had been provided to all airlines for the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules.
These new FDTL regulations mandate extended rest periods for pilots and a revision of flying duties, especially concerning late-night operations to better manage pilot fatigue, a significant risk to safety. While introduced in January last year, the rules saw a delayed rollout in two phases, with the second phase heavily impacting IndiGo. The new regulations necessitated either a larger pilot workforce to maintain the schedule or a reduction of the flight schedule in accordance with the new guidelines, which IndiGo failed to adequately prepare for.
In subsequent review meetings, IndiGo acknowledged that the operational disruptions stemmed from “misjudgment and planning gaps” in executing the second phase of the FDTL rules, claiming that the actual number of required crew exceeded their initial estimates. In light of these challenges, the DGCA granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from certain night operation restrictions for its Airbus A320 pilots, effective until February 10, which helped stabilize their operations. Additional temporary relaxations have also been provided to ensure operational stability.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/business/aviation/indigo-crisis-dgca-sacks-4-flight-operations-inspectors-10416544/
Category: Aviation,Business
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Publish Date: 2025-12-12 13:03:00
