Who are the four DGCA officials suspended over IndiGo crisis? Details
The four suspended officials, all senior FOIs responsible for regulatory and safety oversight, were working with the DGCA on a contract basis.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday suspended four flight operations inspectors (FOIs) amid the scheduling crisis at IndiGo that has disrupted travel plans for thousands this month.
The move came as the airline’s top management appeared before the regulator for the second consecutive day, even as flight cancellations continued. Follow Indigo flight status live updates
As reported by HT earlier, the four officials, all senior inspectors involved in regulatory and safety oversight, were working with the DGCA on a contract basis. “Contracts of these FOIs with the DGCA have been terminated in relation to the recent IndiGo crisis,” an official said, referring to an order dated December 11.
Who are the suspended FOIs
The suspended inspectors are Rishi Raj Chatterjee, consultant and deputy chief FOI; Seema Jhamnani, senior FOI; Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, consultant FOI; and Priyam Kaushik, consultant FOI.
According to people familiar with the matter, Chatterjee previously worked with Vistara, Jhamnani with the erstwhile Indian Airlines, Pokhariyal with Alliance Air, and Kaushik with IndiGo until 2024.
As FOIs, they were part of the DGCA’s core regulatory and safety oversight framework and were often deployed to monitor airline operations.
Why the action now
The suspensions come against the backdrop of growing criticism over how both the airline and the government handled the crisis, which erupted earlier this month.
Since December 2, IndiGo has cancelled thousands of flights, leaving airports clogged with stranded passengers and misplaced baggage. Even on Friday, around 160 flights remained cancelled
The government has since tightened scrutiny of the carrier. IndiGo chief executive officer Pieter Elbers was summoned to appear before a four-member DGCA committee on Thursday and Friday, along with chief operating officer Isidro Porqueras. “The four member DGCA committee summoned both COO and CEO separately with regard to the on-going investigation,” an official aware of the development said.
How the IndiGo crisis unfolded
IndiGo, which controls about 65% of India’s domestic aviation market, has long relied on aggressive scheduling and maximum utilisation of night flights. That model began to unravel after new safety rules increased the mandatory weekly rest period for pilots.
The stress became visible on December 2, when the airline cancelled over 100 of its roughly 2,300 daily flights. Between December 2 and December 9, IndiGo is estimated to have cancelled about 5,500 flights, with delays affecting many of the remaining services. Most disruptions were on domestic routes, while international operations were largely unaffected.
DGCA exemptions
In an attempt to contain the fallout, the DGCA on December 5 granted temporary exemptions to IndiGo’s Airbus A320 fleet from certain night-time pilot duty hour rules and allowed the airline to recall pilots on deputation. It also withdrew a provision that barred airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest for duty norms.
