DGCA Creates Oversight Team as IndiGo Slashes Flights by 10%
DGCA Creates Oversight Team as IndiGo Slashes Flights by 10%
DGCA forms an eight-member oversight team to monitor IndiGo’s network and crew operations amid a 10% winter schedule cut and ongoing flight disruptions.
Regulators on Wednesday ordered IndiGo, India's largest airline, to brace for closer scrutiny as they set up an eight-member oversight team to monitor the carrier's network and crew operations. The team, drawn from the regulator's flight operations inspectors, will review the fleet's health, average stage length of flights, pilot numbers, network details, crew utilization, daily flights and crew availability, and standby crews per base.
IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India's domestic market and runs roughly 2,300 daily flights (about 2,150 domestic), says operations have stabilised but with a lower flight count as the government curbs schedules.
Regulators also require IndiGo's chief executive Pieter Elbers to present comprehensive data and updates on the disruption. He has been asked to appear before the DGCA on Thursday at 3 pm, with senior airline officials in attendance.
The government has ordered a 10% cut in IndiGo's winter schedule to curb the chaos, with ongoing meetings between the regulator, the Civil Aviation Ministry and the airline. Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has warned of strict action to prevent future lapses and promised accountability.
Industry officials note the period of turmoil has seen rapid recovery efforts, including a rebound in flight numbers (the carrier ramped from about 700 daily flights on December 5 to more than 1,800) and a plan to cover 138 destinations. Market sentiment has shifted as the airline works to stabilise operations and restore passenger confidence.
Cover image source: Govt Slashes IndiGo Flights 5%: Fares Up, Stock Crashes In Peak Season 🔗
