IndiGo Flight Chaos: Amid massive IndiGo flight cancellations triggered by operational disruptions, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO
Pieter Elbers, holding him accountable for the operational meltdown, which led to the cancellation of flights and left thousands of passengers stranded across airports in the country.
In the notice, the aviation regulator said that it had “observed massive disruptions” in IndiGo’s scheduled operations, causing “severe inconvenience, hardship and distress” to travellers nationwide.
In its notice, the DGCA said the primary cause of the crisis was the airline’s failure to make adequate arrangements required for the smooth implementation of the newly approved Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. The regulator said the airline’s inability to adjust its rosters and resources in time led to widespread cancellations, delays, crew shortages and cascading disruption across its network.
“As the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline,” the notice stated, adding, “You have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to passengers.”
It also accused the top management of not ensuring adequate preparedness despite prior approvals and regulatory expectations regarding the FDTL transition.
Demanding an explanation for the airline’s spiralling delays, the DGCA gave Elbers 24 hours to respond, warning that failure to do so would invite punitive action.
According to sources, the government is also mulling the removal of IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers over the crisis.
Centre Orders Fortnightly Review
Meanwhile, amid operational disruptions, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to conduct a fortnightly review of the airline’s operations, focusing particularly on its hiring practices, sources told CNN-News18.
At a high-level meeting between the ministry and IndiGo, officials pulled up the carrier for what they described as serious managerial and communication failures. Officials termed the airline’s passenger-facing communication system as “pathetic”, saying that it needs a complete, customer-friendly overhaul, sources said.
During the meeting, the ministry also directed IndiGo to deliver all pending baggage within 48 hours, charge zero rescheduling fees for affected passengers, and clear all pending refunds by 8 pm tomorrow.
In the meeting that lasted for over an hour, government officials said that the airline, India’s largest in terms of market share, had projected confidence about handling the new regulations but failed to hire adequate staff, creating avoidable operational strain.
Sources said the airline has witnessed high attrition, and its recruitment over recent months has not kept pace with requirements, aggravating the staffing crunch.
As per sources, the Civil Aviation Ministry further warned IndiGo of the “toughest possible action” if the situation does not improve. As reported earlier, the government is preparing to impose a heavy, possibly exemplary penalty on IndiGo for the operational meltdown that has triggered widespread delays, cancellations, and passenger chaos across the country.
Centre Caps Flight Fares
Earlier today, the Centre directed airlines to comply with newly introduced fare caps on all disrupted routes, following a sharp surge in airfares amid ongoing aviation turmoil.
In an order, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said that it had acted “in the public interest” to curb “unreasonable surge” in fares caused by cascading operational problems at IndiGo. It said that IndiGo’s operational disruptions have resulted in large-scale flight cancellations, severe capacity constraints, and a sharp jump in last-minute fares, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
Under the revised caps, airlines cannot charge more than Rs 7,500 for routes up to 500 km, and Rs 18,000 for routes exceeding 1,500 km.
| Stage Length (In Km) | Maximum Fare (In Rs) |
| Up to 500 km | Rs 7,500 |
| 500–1000 km | Rs 12,000 |
| 1000–1500 km | Rs 15,000 |
| Beyond 1500 km | Rs 18,000 |
As per the order, these limits are exclusive of UDF, PSF and taxes, and do not apply to Business Class or RCS-UDAN flights.
The ministry further directed that the limits will remain in force “until the fares stabilise or till further review.” It said that these fares would be applicable across all forms of booking — airline websites, apps, and third-party travel portals.
The government said the move was essential to maintain pricing discipline and prevent exploitation at a time when thousands of travellers, including senior citizens, students and medical passengers, are struggling to secure seats after widespread cancellations.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu shared the order detailing the fare caps in a post on X, saying that airlines shall extend maximum possible support to affected passengers, including alternate flight options where feasible.
IndiGo Crisis
IndiGo’s operational meltdown entered its fifth consecutive day on Saturday, with hundreds of domestic flights cancelled across major airports, marking the worst phase yet of the ongoing crisis. The disruptions are primarily caused by a shortage of pilots that was not anticipated due to planning deficiencies.
Mumbai recorded the highest impact with 109 cancellations, while Delhi followed with 86 scrapped departures, heavily straining India’s two busiest airports.
Earlier on Friday, the crisis triggered a full-scale intervention by the Centre, which ordered a high-level probe, put Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms in abeyance, and directed the airline to initiate automatic refunds for all cancelled flights.
Operating 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo has seen its punctuality plummet with the operational disruptions that are expected to continue for many more days.
