India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has imposed a ₹22.2 crore penalty on IndiGo Airlines for large-scale flight disruptions that occurred in December, triggering widespread passenger inconvenience and renewed debate over airline accountability.
The action follows a detailed inquiry ordered by the DGCA after IndiGo faced severe operational breakdowns during the first week of December. Over a span of three days, the airline cancelled more than 2,500 flights and delayed nearly 1,900 services, leaving over three lakh passengers stranded across major airports. The disruption coincided with the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for pilots, which aim to reduce fatigue and enhance flight safety.
According to the DGCA, the crisis was not caused by a single factor but by systemic planning failures. The regulator cited over-ambitious scheduling, insufficient buffer in crew and aircraft deployment, weaknesses in operational software systems, and inadequate preparedness for the new duty norms. These shortcomings, it said, exposed gaps in IndiGo’s management oversight and operational control mechanisms.
Of the total fine, ₹1.8 crore relates to one-time violations of aviation safety and operational rules. The remaining ₹20.4 crore was levied for continued non-compliance over several weeks, during which IndiGo sought repeated exemptions from full implementation of the revised duty norms while continuing to operate a dense flight schedule.
In addition to the monetary penalty, the DGCA issued warnings to senior IndiGo executives, including top management, for failing to anticipate and manage the operational fallout. The regulator also directed changes in responsibility within the airline’s operations control structure.
To ensure long-term corrective action, IndiGo has been asked to submit a ₹50 crore bank guarantee under a Systemic Reform Assurance Plan. The guarantee will be released in phases, subject to DGCA verification of improvements in crew planning, fatigue management, digital systems, leadership oversight, and governance practices.
The penalty has sparked mixed reactions across the aviation sector. While some pilots’ bodies and experts argue the fine is inadequate given the scale of passenger hardship, others point out that existing laws limit the DGCA’s ability to impose harsher financial penalties.
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