10 December,2025 04:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu with Indigo chief Pieter Elber. Pic/PTI
Days after a major disruption pushed the aviation sector in the country to chaos, Indigo Airlines's CEO Pieter Elber has now been asked to appear before the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The aviation safety regulator has directed the crisis-ridden airline's chief to appear and submit a complete report, along with comprehensive data and updates, relating to the recent operational disruptions, news agency PTI reported.
The Director General of Civil Aviation has asked the Indigo chief to appear at the DGCA office at 3 pm on Thursday.
The regulator, while issuing the statement, has said that the CEO, along with senior officials from all the relevant departments, has been instructed to attend the meeting in view of the ongoing aviation crisis.
As per the DGCA's order, the airline has been asked to present information on the flight restoration and recruitment plan of pilots and crew, PTI reported. The order also stated that the airline is required to present a report on the updated position of pilot and cabin crew strength and the number of flights cancelled and refunds processed, among other information.
Following large-scale disruptions to its services, which resulted in thousands of flights being cancelled, delayed/rescheduled, the DGCA appointed a panel to probe the disruptions.
The four-member committee has been mandated to identify the root causes behind the operational breakdown. It comprises Joint DG Sanjay Brahamane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior Flight Operations Inspector Kapil Manglik, and FOI Lokesh Rampal.
The committee will closely examine manpower planning, fluctuating crew rostering systems and the airline's readiness to implement the latest duty period and rest norms for pilots, reported PTI.
DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on December 5 had announced that the panel will review IndiGo's compliance with the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation provisions. This includes assessing gaps admitted by the airline and fixing accountability for planning failures that resulted in widespread disruptions.
On Tuesday, the DGCA had directed IndiGo to reduce its flight operations by 5 per cent across sectors, citing the airline's failure to operate its winter schedule efficiently and a backlog of cancellations. The airline has been asked to submit a revised schedule by 5 pm on Wednesday by the civil aviation regulator.
(With inputs from PTI)
