Aviation Regulator Suspends Four Flight Operations Inspectors From IndiGo: Sources

The Directorate General Of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) from airline carrier IndiGo, according to people familiar with the matter. This follows large-scale disruptions in services on account of planning failures related to the implementation of new pilot and crew duty norms.

The aviation regulator's preliminary investigation has found IndiGo's operations inspectors to be guilty of negligence in safety checks. People quoted above added that these inspectors were in charge of examining the safety and operations of Indigo’s flights.

The decision, they say, was likely due to negligence found during the investigation and monitoring of IndiGo, an airline which found itself in turbulent times recently.

The crisis-hit airline also cancelled 60 flights from Bengaluru Airport on Thursday, as DGCA tightened its scrutiny, another source said. Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been summoned by the regulator to submit a comprehensive report on the disruptions, including data and updates.

The regulatory scrutiny has increased overall after the DGCA issued an order directing spot checks on Thursday.

DGCA's inspection teams will now carry out quick on-spot inspections at arrival on airports, according to an order submitted on Thursday. These checks will cover compliance with applicable Civil Aviation requirements. This include licensing readiness safety, emergency preparedness, ground handling processes, and passenger facilities.

On Wednesday, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Mehta spoke for the first time about the crisis. He apologised for the chaos and attributed the massive disruptions to internal and external 'unanticipated' events, like minor technical glitches, scheduled changes linked to the start of the Winter season, adverse weather conditions.

Additionally, a new Statista report has highlighted that the pilot-to-aircraft ratio at IndiGo is around 14 pilots per plane. Other global airlines, in comparison, have around 20 pilots per aircraft.

The report noted that IndiGo operates around 2,000 flights daily and has nearly 5,100 pilots employed. In the first week of December, the airline was forced to cancel over 2,000 flights due to crew shortages.

The crew rostering issues were on the back of implementation of new flight duty norms by the central government, which required airlines to cut down on night duties and total flight hours for crew.