India's largest airline, IndiGo, faced intense scrutiny on Tuesday, 16 December, as its Chief Operating Officer, Isidro Porqueras, appeared before a Parliamentary Standing Committee. The committee is investigating the recent spate of mass flight cancellations and delays that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.
DGCA's Parallel Probe and Panel Mandate
This parliamentary hearing follows action by the aviation regulator. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had constituted a four-member panel on 5 December to summon both IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidro Porqueras. Officials from the DGCA and representatives from the Federation of Pilot Associations have also been called to appear before this panel.
The core task of this DGCA panel is to identify the root cause of the nationwide disruptions. Its mandate includes a thorough assessment of:
- IndiGo's manpower planning and crew rostering systems.
- The airline's willingness to implement the latest norms on pilots' duty times and mandatory rest periods.
- The carrier's level of compliance with the updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.
The panel will specifically analyze gaps admitted by IndiGo to ascertain accountability for the operational failures. The DGCA has instructed the panel to submit its report within 15 days.
Current Operational Status and Weather Woes
After days of severe disruption, IndiGo has stated that its flight operations have begun to stabilise. The airline maintains that the latest round of cancellations are not linked to its internal operational issues.
On Tuesday itself, over 50 IndiGo flights were cancelled nationwide, but the airline attributed this to adverse weather conditions. Dense fog and low visibility, particularly in northern India, significantly disrupted air traffic. Major hubs like Delhi faced pronounced challenges, with fog-related restrictions impacting take-offs and landings during early morning and late-night hours. Airlines and airport authorities had cautioned passengers to expect further delays due to the weather.
Accountability and the Path Forward
The dual probes by the parliamentary committee and the DGCA signal a serious governmental response to the crisis that caused widespread public inconvenience. The focus on crew scheduling and rest rules points to potential systemic issues in airline operations during peak demand periods.
As the investigations proceed, the aviation industry and passengers alike await the findings, which are expected to shape stricter oversight and possibly lead to corrective measures to prevent a recurrence of such pan-India travel chaos.
