New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) Low-cost carrier IndiGo has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it does not plan to cancel any flights after February 10, the date from which the airline has to implement the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) rules, as it now has the required number of pilots.
The DGCA had deferred the implementation of the FDTL rules for IndiGo on December 6, amid the chaotic disruption of flights that had left passengers stranded at airports across the country due to an acute shortage of pilots.
The airline had been given time till February 10 to restore normalcy in its operations.
DGCA officials held a meeting with the IndiGo management on Monday, during which the airline claimed it had an “adequate” number of pilots on its rolls to meet operational requirements under the new FDTL rules, which provide for more rest time to pilots.
The IndiGo management said that it would need 2,280 captains by February 10 and has 2,400, while it would need 2,050 first officers and has 2,240 on its rolls.
“During the meeting with the DGCA on Monday, IndiGo assured operational stability and no flight cancellations after February 10, 2026, based on the current approved network,” the regulator stated on Tuesday.
The DGCA has imposed a fine of 22.20 crore rupees on IndiGo following large-scale delays and cancellations by the airline in early December last year.
During the three days of 3rd and 5th December, the airline cancelled 2,507 flights and delayed 1,852 flights caused inconvenience to over three lakh passengers stranded at various airports.
The fine was imposed following a detailed inquiry conducted by a four-member Committee constituted by the DGCA to undertake a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances leading to the operational disruptions of IndiGo.
The fine includes a one-time systemic penalty of 1.80 crore rupees for multiple violations of Civil Aviation Requirements and a daily penalty of 30 lakh rupees for 68 days between 5th December last year to 10th February this year, amounting to a penalty of 20.40 crore rupees.
The inquiry committee constituted by DGCA found that the primary causes for the disruption were over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, shortcomings in management structure and operational control.
The Committee observed that the airline’s management failed to adequately identify planning deficiencies, maintain sufficient operational buffer, and effectively implement the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) provisions.
It was observed that this approach compromised roster integrity and adversely affected operational resilience.
–IANS
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