The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has formed a four-member panel to probe the massive cancellations of IndiGo flights, leading to chaos at key airports across the nation. The panel will investigate the cause of massive disruptions in the airline's services and has been advised to submit a report within 15 days.
In a statement, DGCA said the revised provisions of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) were intimated to airlines, and they were advised to "undertake comprehensive manpower planning, roster restructuring, and implementation preparedness to ensure seamless transition to the revised fatigue-management framework."
The Directorate said that though they issued instructions from time to time, the airline failed to forecast crew availability and make necessary amendments in its operations as per the new guidelines. The panel comprises Sanjay K. Bramhane, Joint Director General, Amit Gupta, Deputy Director General, Capt Kapil Manglik, SFOI, and Capt Lokesh Rampal, FOI.
The DGCA observed the massive disruptions in IndiGo's services "indicates deficiencies in internal oversight, operational preparedness, and compliance planning, warranting an independent examination." The probe panel will identify the underlying causes leading to widespread operational disruptions; implementation preparedness, review IndiGo's compliance with the new FDTL rules and analysis of gaps admitted by the airline.
The panel will also review the mitigation measures taken by the airline and "assess whether the airline is taking adequate steps for restoration of flight operations."
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Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the FDTL orders issued by the DGCA have been placed in abeyance with immediate effect to stabilise operations. "Airlines have been directed to provide timely and accurate updates to all passengers and ensure automatic refunds for cancelled flights and arrange hotel accommodation for those stranded due to prolonged delays with priority assistance for senior citizens and differently abled," he said.
"Accountability will be fixed, and measures will be taken to prevent future disruptions," Naidu said.
Massive disruptions in IndiGo's services have affected flight travel at the national level. IndiGo, which operates the largest number of domestic flights in India, has been cancelling services since the end of November. The airline has cancelled all its services from Delhi on Friday. A total of 1,300 flights have been cancelled in the last 48 hours. IndiGo has warned of continued disruption till December 8. The massive cancellations have also led to a steep hike in air fares of competitors.
