Government panel submits confidential report on IndiGo flight disruptions

A government-appointed committee probing the recent operational disruptions at IndiGo has submitted its report to the Centre, sources said. The eight-member panel, headed by Joint Director General Sanjay K. Bramhane, submitted its findings to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday evening. The report has been classified as confidential.

The committee was constituted earlier this month following widespread flight cancellations and delays at IndiGo, India’s largest airline, which disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers across the country during the peak winter travel season. The disruptions triggered intense scrutiny from the aviation regulator and the government amid growing concerns over airline preparedness and operational resilience.

IndiGo’s troubles began after the implementation of revised flight duty time limitation norms, which necessitated changes in crew rostering and scheduling. The airline struggled to recalibrate its operations at scale, leading to cascading cancellations, delays and crew shortages across multiple hubs. At the peak of the disruption, several hundred flights were cancelled over a span of days, drawing sharp criticism from passengers and lawmakers.

Following the disruptions, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo, seeking an explanation for alleged lapses in planning, crew management and compliance with regulatory requirements. The regulator also ordered inspections at several airports and asked the airline to submit detailed data on cancellations, delays and crew deployment.

The government panel was tasked with examining the root causes of the disruption, including whether the airline had adequately anticipated the impact of regulatory changes, the robustness of its crew planning systems, and the effectiveness of internal risk management processes. Sources said the committee also reviewed the regulator’s oversight mechanisms and the airline’s response once the crisis unfolded.

While the contents of the report have not been made public, its submission marks the conclusion of the fact-finding exercise. Officials indicated that the findings would now be examined by the Ministry and the DGCA to determine the next course of action, which could include corrective directives, tighter oversight or further regulatory measures.

IndiGo has since said its operations have stabilised, with flight schedules gradually restored. The airline has also announced internal reviews and engaged external aviation experts to assess its operational preparedness and crisis response framework.

The submission of the confidential report comes at a time when the government has repeatedly emphasised the need for airlines to balance rapid capacity expansion with operational reliability, particularly in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. Any regulatory action flowing from the panel’s findings is expected to have broader implications for airline planning and compliance standards across the sector.