Indigo Flight Cancellations: DGCA Studies Reply, Says Enforcement Action Will Follow 'As Appropriate'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has confirmed receipt of IndiGo's response to the show-cause notice issued to CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras following widespread flight cancellations

The aviation safety regulator received the airline's response, which was submitted after the initial 24-hour deadline was extended to Monday, 6 PM, at the airline's request.

The regulator noted that IndiGo is "profusely apologetic" and expresses deep regret for the inconvenience and hardship caused to customers.

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It is currently examining the response and has stated that "enforcement action, as deemed appropriate, will be taken in due course."

IndiGo blames 'combination of factors' for disruptions

In its response, IndiGo attributed the mass disruptions to a complex combination of factors that coincided simultaneously, including: minor technical glitches, schedule changes related to the start of the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and implementation of and operation under the updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitation Phase II).

The airline, in its response, stated that "it is realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s) at this time due to the complexity and vast scale of operations".

"IndiGo submitted replies signed by both Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer on December 8 at 1801 hours," the DGCA said in a statement.

The airline also noted that the DGCA's manual typically allows a 15-day response time for show-cause notices, suggesting more time is needed to complete a comprehensive 'Root Cause Analysis' (RCA).

Govt to curtail IndiGo's operational routes

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announced on Monday that the government would curtail IndiGo's operational routes and reallocate those slots to other carriers. This decisive action follows a period of "large-scale operational disruptions" at India's largest carrier, primarily driven by a shortage of flight crew following the implementation of new FDTL rules.

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"We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them," Naidu told Doordarshan news channel.

A total of ₹745 crore has been refunded for 730,655 cancelled PNRs between December 1 and December 8 (as of 5 pm), the Minister stated.

Out of 9,000 passenger bags separated from passengers during the chaos, 6,000 have already been delivered, with the remaining scheduled for delivery by either Monday night or Tuesday morning, he added.

Blaming the airlines for its failure to manage the crew and duty roster through its day-to-day operations, Naidu said earlier:“We are not taking this situation easily. We are doing an inquiry. We will take very, very strict action not only for this situation but also as an example.”

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