DGCA has given its four-member panel time till December 26 to submit its probe report on IndiGo disruptions.
The extension was sought to analyse a large volume of operational data provided by IndiGo.
The panel is examining flight planning, crew management and regulatory oversight behind the mass flight cancellations.
IndiGo Meltdown: DGCA Panel gets Extension to Complete Probe
The airline expects to pay more than ₹500 crore (about $55.19 million) to customers as refunds, compensation, and other costs related to the cancellations
DGCA Panel gets Extension to Complete Investigation
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the deadline for a four-member committee investigating recent flight disruptions at IndiGo. The panel, led by Joint Director General Sanjay K. Bramhane, was earlier asked to submit its report by December 20. However, it will now present its findings by December 26, giving it nearly a week of additional time.
According to a report by The Hindu BusinessLine, the committee requested an extension as it needed more time to examine a large volume of data submitted by IndiGo. The airline has provided extensive operational information, which the panel said requires detailed analysis before final conclusions can be drawn.
The DGCA committee is looking into widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo earlier this month that stranded thousands of passengers at several airports across India.
The probe is focusing on several aspects, including flight planning, crew management, and the role of regulatory oversight. The aim is to determine whether shortcomings in these areas led to the large-scale disruptions.
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The operational meltdown has been linked to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, which came into force on November 1. These rules increase mandatory rest periods for pilots, limit night-time flying duties, and require at least 48 hours of rest each week.
IndiGo reportedly did not fully adjust its crew scheduling systems to comply with the stricter rules, resulting in a shortage of available pilots.
As a result, the airline cancelled around 4,500 flights during the first week of December alone. This caused major inconvenience to passengers and prompted the DGCA to direct IndiGo to cut its domestic winter flight schedule by 10% until operations stabilised.
IndiGo earlier acknowledged the impact of the disruptions. According to Reuters, the airline expects to pay more than ₹500 crore (about $55.19 million) to customers as refunds, compensation, and other costs related to the cancellations.
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Separately, the airline had also received a tax penalty notice amounting to ₹58.75 crore for the financial year 2020–21.
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