DGCA receives committee report on IndiGo's operational disruption
What's the story
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received a report from the four-member committee it formed on December 5. The committee was tasked with investigating the operational disruption at IndiGo earlier this month. The panel, led by Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, included Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and Flight Operations Inspector Lokesh Rampal.
Operational challenges
IndiGo's flight cancelations and DGCA's response
Between December 1 and 9, IndiGo canceled over 4,200 flights. The disruption was caused by the airline's failure to manage its pilot duty roster after the DGCA implemented new rest and duty regulations. These changes increased weekly rest requirements and reduced night flying hours for pilots. Prior to this crisis, IndiGo operated around 2,300 flights a day, some 2,000 domestic and about 300 international.
Regulatory review
DGCA's observations on IndiGo's operational shortcomings
The DGCA had previously noted IndiGo's failure to accurately predict crew availability and realign rosters, despite advance regulatory intimation. This led to cascading delays and cancelations across its network from late November 2025. In a review meeting with the airline in early December, IndiGo "acknowledged" it had "failed" to anticipate actual crew requirement under revised norms and admitted there were significant planning and assessment gaps in implementing these rules.
Operational admission
IndiGo's acknowledgment of operational shortcomings
IndiGo admitted its shortcomings in a review meeting with the DGCA. The airline said it failed to predict actual crew requirements under revised norms and acknowledged significant gaps in planning and assessment for implementing Phase-II of FDTL CAR 2024. This shortfall directly contributed to large-scale disruptions, with daily cancelations reaching up to 200 flights, severely affecting network integrity and passenger convenience.