DGCA fines IndiGo Rs 22 crore for flight disruption

EW Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed the biggest fine ever on an Indian carrier – Rs 22.2 crore on IndiGo for massive flight disruptions last month.

Additionally, the airline will have to submit a bank guarantee of Rs 50 crore, the release of which is linked to, inter alia, implementing more humane flying duty norms for pilots with the aim of enhancing flight safety.

The regulator has warned senior airline executives, including CEOs and COOs. The senior VP of the operation control centre will have to be removed from his post.

The senior vice president of the Operation Control Centre will be removed from his post and will not be given any accountable posts in the future.

The aviation ministry has ordered “an internal inquiry to identify and implement systemic reforms within the DGCA.”.

The regulator late Saturday night released the key findings of the report of its four-member panel, which had probed the fall in IndiGo schedules last month.

The airline incurred significant costs due to its lack of preparation and consequent inability to implement the DGCA’s new flight duty time limit (FDTL) for pilots.

To ensure that the airline can resume flights from the second week of December, each day of exemption given to pilots of the Airbus A320 family is costing Rs 30 lakh.

This number works out to Rs 20.4 crore for 68 days between December 5, 2025, and February 10, 2026. A lump sum fine of Rs 30 lakh each has been imposed on the airline in six more cases, which together takes the fine to Rs 22.2 crore.

The six failures include failing to comply with the new FDTL rules, rest periods, “inadequate buffer margin in the roster plan… failure to strike a balance between commercial imperatives and the ability of crew members to work effectively, and failure of accountable management to ensure the overall functioning, financing, and conduct of operations as per DGCA standards.””

Between December 3 and 5, 2,507 IndiGo flights were cancelled and 1,852 flights were delayed, leaving over 3 lakh passengers stranded at airports across the airline’s network. Flights gradually resumed over the next week or so.

What is the cause of the crisis? The DGCA inquiry panel found that the main reasons for the disruption were “too much focus on efficiency, not being ready with regulations, problems with system software support, and issues in the management and operational controls at IndiGo.”

The report also mentioned that the airline’s management did not.  “The airline’s management failed to adequately acknowledge the shortcomings of the scheme, maintain adequate operating buffers, and effectively implement the amended FDTL provisions.”

the report said. Action against Indigo: In addition to the fine, the DGCA inquiry panel has warned the airline’s CEO about “inadequate overall monitoring of flight operations and crisis management.”. The accountable manager and COO,

Isidre Porqueras has been warned of the “failure to assess the impact of Winter Schedule 2025 and the revised FDTL that will cause widespread disruption”.

The senior VP (Ops Control Centre) has been asked to be relieved from the post and not to be given any responsible post in the future.

Flight operations and crew resource planning have been issued warnings “for operational, supervisory, manpower planning and roster management lapses”.

Way Ahead: The DGCA has instructed IndiGo to take appropriate action against any other personnel identified in its investigation and to submit a compliance report regarding this matter.

Sources say IndiGo has been made aware of the lapses of its senior executives, especially the COO, and it is now expected that the airline will take action against them.

The report stated that the findings underscore the importance of operational planning and effective management oversight in ensuring sustainable operations, as well as passenger safety and convenience. Indigo statement:

Confirming receipt of the DGCA decision, the airline said it is “committed to taking full cognisance of the orders and will take appropriate steps in a thoughtful and timely manner…

A thorough review of the robustness and resilience of the internal processes at IndiGo is underway to ensure that the airline emerges stronger from these incidents in its pristine record of over 19 years of operations.”