‘Give explanation within 24 hours’: DGCA’s showcause notice to IndiGo amid mass cancellation of flights

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued showcause notices to IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras over the massive flight disruptions.

The aviation regulator said the large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management, and directed the airline officials to provide an explanation within 24 hours.

"... as the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers," the regulator said in the notice sent to Elbers.

The DGCA noted that there was prima facie a non-compliance with the provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937 (Rule 42A) and relevant Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) on duty periods, flight time limitations and prescribed rest periods for crew.

The notices also alleged lapses in passenger care, noting that the airline did not provide the mandated information or facilities to affected travellers following cancellations, delays and denied boarding, violating CAR provisions regarding passenger rights.

"You are hereby directed to show cause within 24 hours of receipt of this notice as to why appropriate enforcement action should not be initiated against you under the relevant provisions of the Aircraft Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for the above-mentioned violations," the notice read.

On Saturday, a government official told PTI that the authorities will take appropriate action in the matter depending on the inquiry committee's findings.

He said the immediate priority is to restore normalcy in flight operations, and the airline has been asked to ensure prompt refund of tickets.

IndiGo, the country's largest airline that generally operates around 2,300 flights, cancelled over 1000 flights in the last four days, leading to chaos and confusion at airports and prompting protests by passengers.

The massive flight disruptions were caused by IndiGo's failure to plan properly for the new flight duty norms that provide for increased rest periods and fewer night landings.