Government Warns IndiGo of Strict Action as DGCA Begins Detailed Probe

Guwahati: The government on Monday warned that “very strict action” will be taken against IndiGo after the airline’s failure to comply with new pilot rest rules triggered one of the worst flight disruptions the country has seen in recent years.

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, has slowly resumed operations, running around 1,800 flights on Monday compared to 1,650 on Sunday. However, on December 5, more than two-thirds of its 2,300 daily flights were cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across airports.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has already issued show-cause notices to the airline’s top executives and has now set up a four-member probe panel. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras submitted their replies to the regulator on Monday, expressing regret over the massive inconvenience caused to passengers.

Officials said the probe will examine IndiGo’s manpower planning, rostering system and preparedness for implementing the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which classify all duties between midnight and 6 a.m. as night duty and reduce the number of allowed landings within a 24-hour period. These norms, aimed at reducing pilot fatigue, were announced more than a year ago but led to pilot shortages at IndiGo due to inadequate hiring.

The government has temporarily relaxed the new rules until February 10, 2026, to stabilise operations. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told Parliament that the inquiry will fix accountability and ensure such disruptions do not recur.

“We will take very, very strict action. We will set an example for all airlines,” he said, adding that passenger inconvenience will not be tolerated.

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