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Meltdown Deepens: DGCA Tightens Grip as Delhi High Court Slams Centre Over Nationwide Crisis
60 Flights Cancels From Bengaluru Airport on Thursday
New Delhi: India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, remained in crisis mode on Thursday, cancelling 60 flights — including 32 arrivals and 28 departures from Bengaluru Airport — even as aviation regulator DGCA escalated its scrutiny of the airline’s operations. This followed 220 cancellations on Wednesday across Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with Delhi alone accounting for 137 grounded flights. Sources said the disruptions stem from a series of planning failures linked to the airline’s transition to the new pilot and crew duty (FDTL) norms, which have sharply exposed workforce deficits within the company.
DGCA Summons CEO; Oversight Teams Stationed at HQ
DGCA has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to submit a comprehensive report detailing the circumstances behind the unprecedented operational breakdown. In a rare and stern move, the regulator has also stationed two senior captains and two government officials at IndiGo’s Gurgaon headquarters. An eight-member oversight team will monitor crew deployment, unplanned leave, cancellation patterns, and workforce shortages, and file daily reports to the regulator. This intensified intervention signals the DGCA’s view that the airline’s internal systems have failed to stabilise operations despite repeated assurances.
Leadership Apologises, Points to “Unanticipated Events”
Breaking his silence after 10 days, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Mehta issued an apology, attributing the chaos to a convergence of internal and external disruptions — minor technical issues, winter schedule changes, weather-related delays, congestion, and the transition to updated rostering rules. However, aviation experts say other airlines faced the same external conditions but did not suffer large-scale operational collapse, indicating deeper structural issues at IndiGo.
Pilot Shortages Expose Planning Gaps
Data submitted to Parliament shows IndiGo’s pilot strength has plunged from 5,463 in March 2025 to 5,085 by December 2025 — a loss of 378 pilots in nine months. This contradicts IndiGo’s earlier claim to the DGCA that the new FDTL norms would require only a 3% increase in crewing.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) blamed the chaos on IndiGo’s “prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy,” including a hiring freeze, non-poaching arrangements, and pay freeze, despite the industry having a two-year window to prepare for the new duty-time regulations.
Delhi High Court Pulls Up Centre for Allowing Crisis to Escalate
Amid the escalating turmoil, the Delhi High Court sharply criticised the Centre and the DGCA for allowing the situation to deteriorate, resulting in lakhs of passengers being stranded and other airlines charging exorbitant fares. “The question is why this crisis arose at all and what have you been doing?” a Bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice TR Gedela asked during the hearing of a PIL seeking judicial inquiry and fair compensation. The court said the massive cancellations had not only caused harassment to passengers but also damaged the economy, as aviation is vital to India’s rapid mobility needs.
Airlines Accused of Price Gouging Amid Chaos
The Bench questioned how other airlines were allowed to hike fares drastically during the crisis.
“A ticket costing Rs 5,000 went up to Rs 30,000–39,000. How could airlines be permitted to take advantage? It’s like taking a pound of flesh,” the court observed. The court directed the government and IndiGo to compensate affected passengers adequately. It sought the status of the inquiry committee’s report, which must be submitted in a sealed cover by the next hearing on January 22.
