IndiGo flight crisis enters fifth day; Centre orders high-level probe as passengers suffer nationwide
New Delhi: The IndiGo flight disruption entered its fifth straight day on Wednesday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country. Massive cancellations and operational chaos have forced the Civil Aviation Ministry to launch a high-level investigation into the crisis.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that faults in internal monitoring, operational readiness and compliance planning triggered the inquiry.
A four-member committee headed by DGCA Joint Director General Sanjay K Brahmne will conduct a detailed assessment of the incidents that led to airport chaos. Other members include Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Captain Kapil Manglik, and Flight Operations Inspector Captain Lokesh Rampal.
The investigation will examine what went wrong inside IndiGo, identify accountability, and recommend preventive measures to ensure passengers do not face such hardships again, the ministry said.
Why were so many flights cancelled?
The crisis escalated after IndiGo cancelled over 750 flights nationwide following the DGCA’s newly-implemented Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms for pilots. The new rules increased mandatory weekly rest time from 36 to 48 hours and significantly restricted night landings, leading to staff shortages and scheduling breakdowns.
IndiGo apologises, blames rostering errors:
IndiGo admitted that miscalculations in crew planning triggered the disruption. In an official statement, the airline said it deeply regrets the inconvenience and assured that teams are working round-the-clock to restore normal operations. “Our frontline staff and the entire team are dedicated to assisting every customer with care and respect,” the airline said on its official X handle.
DGCA steps back from new rules temporarily:
As the disruption stretched into day five, DGCA partially rolled back sections of the new FDTL norms and granted temporary exemptions to airlines.
Government orders relief measures for passengers:
The ministry has directed airlines to provide real-time updates via online systems, issue automatic full refunds for cancelled flights, and arrange hotel accommodation and meals for passengers stranded due to long delays.
To address grievances, the ministry has set up a 24×7 control room with the following contact numbers:
011-24610843
011-24693963
096503-91859
Authorities say the priority is to stabilise operations and ensure passengers are not subjected to similar distress again.
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