The massive operational disruption at IndiGo, which has led to hundreds of flight cancellations and stranded thousands of passengers over the past five days, has cast a harsh spotlight on the airline's prestigious board of directors. The board, which includes former regulators, ex-military chiefs, and international aviation experts, is now facing intense scrutiny over its oversight in the run-up to the crisis triggered by a shortage of pilots compliant with new rest rules.
Board's Crisis Response vs. Proactive Oversight
On Saturday, IndiGo issued a statement detailing its board's response. It stated that the board met on the first day of the cancellations, received a management briefing, and subsequently formed a Crisis Management Group. This group, chaired by Vikram Singh Mehta and including directors like ex-FAA chief Mike Whitaker, former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, and CEO Pieter Elbers, has been meeting regularly to monitor the situation.
However, the pivotal question remains: How actively did the board monitor the airline's preparation for the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) over the past two years? The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had stipulated these stricter pilot rest rules almost two years ago, in January 2024. Their implementation was deferred and finally set for a two-phase rollout on July 1, 2025, and November 1, 2025.
A Silent Risk Report and Regulatory Action
A review of IndiGo's annual reports for 2023-24 and 2024-25 reveals a startling omission. There is no mention of the new FDTL regulations, not even in the airline's risk management reports. This is despite the reports claiming proactive regulatory communication and risk mitigation.
This apparent lack of preparedness has drawn regulatory ire. On Saturday, the DGCA issued a show-cause notice to CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras, citing significant planning lapses. The regulator has since extended their response time by another 24 hours.
Corporate governance experts are questioning the role of the board's seven-member Risk Management Committee, chaired by director Gregg Saretsky. "Did it closely track progress?" asked a former bureaucrat and governance expert. The committee, which includes members like former IAF chief BS Dhanoa and Mike Whitaker, was ostensibly responsible for overseeing such operational and regulatory risks.
High-Profile Board in the Hot Seat
The IndiGo board is a who's who of Indian and global expertise. It includes Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta (ex-Shell India), Amitabh Kant (former G20 Sherpa), M. Damodaran (ex-SEBI Chairman), Mike Whitaker (ex-FAA Administrator), ACM (Retd) BS Dhanoa, and leading lawyer Pallavi Shroff. Promoter Rahul Bhatia also holds an executive role.
When contacted for comments, most board members did not respond. Amitabh Kant, who joined the board on September 15, 2025, stated it would not be appropriate for him to comment as a new member and redirected queries to the Chairman and CEO.
The DGCA has initiated a probe to determine the root cause of the failure. While granting temporary exemptions to help IndiGo stabilise operations, both the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) have vowed strict regulatory action. The regulator claims it issued "repeated directions and advance instructions" to IndiGo on preparing for the new norms, as noted in its December 5 inquiry order.
The crisis underscores a critical failure in translating high-level governance into actionable, monitored preparedness, leaving passengers to bear the brunt and raising fundamental questions about board accountability in India's largest airline.
