Four DGCA Flight Operations Inspectors Sacked Amid IndiGo Flight Cancellation Crisis

Four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) have been removed from their posts at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the IndiGo flight cancellations crisis continues to escalate.

“Contracts of these FOIs with the DGCA have been terminated in relation to the recent IndiGo crisis,” an official said, referring to the order issued on December 11.

According to the order, “Consequent upon approval of the Competent Authority, the following FOIs under various categories, on contract basis, in DGCA are hereby relieved from DGCA with immediate effect to join their respective parent organizations.”

The officers named in the order are:

• Rishi Raj Chatterjee, consultant (Deputy Chief FOI)

• Seema Jhamnani, Senior FOI

• Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, consultant (FOI)

• Priyam Kaushik, consultant (FOI)

FOIs are responsible for overseeing airline safety, pilot training, and compliance with operational standards.

Meanwhile, the DGCA has summoned IndiGo’s COO Isidro Porqueras and CEO Pieter Elbers on Friday as part of its ongoing investigation. Both executives are being questioned separately by a four-member DGCA committee. “The CEO has been called in the afternoon,” an official said.

The scrutiny follows massive disruptions triggered by the airline’s failure to adequately prepare for the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which took effect on November 1.

According to data shared with the government, IndiGo cancelled around 1,580 flights on December 5 alone. Between December 1 and 9, the airline cancelled 4,290 domestic and 64 international flights. At the peak of the crisis on December 5, it cancelled 1,588 domestic flights, nearly 79% of its entire domestic schedule.

Despite IndiGo’s claims that operations had been stabilised from December 8, disruptions persisted, with over 200 flights cancelled on Thursday and 54 cancellations recorded on Friday morning.

The government has attributed the chaos to IndiGo’s “mismanagement” and poor crew-roster handling. As a corrective measure, the airline has been ordered to reduce daily operations by 10% until the situation normalises.