IndiGo appoints new operations head after crew scheduling mess
IndiGo has named Captain Rohit Rikhye as the new head of its Operations Control Center, appointed in February 2026.
He steps in after Jason Herter was removed, following a major crew scheduling meltdown last December involving massive flight cancelations and chaos and led to a hefty ₹22.2 crore fine from aviation authorities.
The shake-up and the fallout
This shake-up comes after IndiGo's crew rostering system failed due to over-optimizing schedules, not leaving enough buffer time, and software glitches—basically, a recipe for chaos.
The government responded by banning Herter from future leadership roles and demanding stricter safety guarantees so this doesn't happen again.
Rikhye's credentials and experience
Rikhye currently leads pilot standards and safety at IndiGo.
With years of hands-on experience in flight operations and crew management, he's seen as the right person to fix what went wrong and help get things back on track.
Herter's fate and regulatory action
Herter had been overseeing crew planning but was held responsible for the crisis by regulators.
His removal was followed by regulatory action, including a ban on Herter from future leadership roles and demands for stricter safety guarantees.