DGCA Suspends 4 Flight Operations Inspectors Over IndiGo Crisis

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended 4 Flight Operations Inspectors, responsible for overseeing airline safety and operational compliance over the IndiGo crisis. 

The four DGCA officers relieved with immediate effect are as follows:

1. Rish Raj Chatterjee, Consultant [Dy. CFO(A)]
2. Seema Jhamnani, SFO(A)
3. Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, Consultant [FOI(A)]
4. Priyam Kaushik, Consultant [FOI(A)]

This follows a meeting on Thursday where IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers met with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to address recent operational disruptions. The DGCA has also constituted a special four-member committee to question him today regarding the widespread flight cancellations over the past week.

Separately, IndiGo has processed refunds for all flights cancelled during the disruptions on Thursday and assured customers that remaining payments will reflect in their accounts shortly. 

In a statement, the airline noted that travellers who booked through online travel platforms or third-party agents will also receive refunds.

"If the booking was made through a travel partner platform, the necessary actions for your refund have also been initiated. As we may not have your complete details in our system, we request you to write to us at customer.experience@goindigo.in so we can continue to assist you promptly," the statement read.

Earlier, the DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers following the widespread cancellations. In its response, the airline requested additional time, stating that it is "realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)" given the "complexity and vast scale of operations."

What Are FDTL Rules That Led To IndiGo Crisis?

FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) refers to a set of rules established by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to reduce pilot fatigue and ensure adequate rest periods.

Earlier, in response to the DGCA's show-cause notice, IndiGo had identified preliminary contributing factors behind the recent operational crisis. One key factor was difficulty complying with the DGCA's Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) order, which mandated that "no leave shall be substituted for weekly rest." This order was later withdrawn by the regulator after IndiGo cancelled scores of flights across key cities in India leading to massive flight disruptions.