IndiGo Slammed with ₹22.2 Crore Fine for Massive Flight Disruptions
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In a stern move, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a ₹22.2 crore fine on IndiGo for its massive flight disruptions in December. The airline had experienced a chaotic period between December 3-5, with 2,507 flights cancelled and 1,852 delayed, affecting over three lakh passengers. According to the DGCA, a four-member committee was constituted to investigate the disruptions. The committee found that IndiGo's management failed to identify planning deficiencies, maintain sufficient operational buffer, and effectively implement revised flight duty time limitation provisions. The committee's report highlighted that IndiGo's focus on maximizing crew, aircraft, and network resource utilization had significantly reduced roster buffer margins. Crew rosters were designed to maximize duty periods, with increased reliance on dead-heading, tail swaps, extended duty patterns, and minimal recovery margins. The fine includes a daily penalty of ₹30 lakh for 68 days of non-compliance and one-time systemic penalties of ₹1.8 crore. IndiGo has also been asked to provide a bank guarantee of ₹50 crore. IndiGo has promised to take full cognizance of the orders and take appropriate measures. The airline has also been conducting an in-depth review of its internal processes to ensure that it emerges stronger from the disruptions. The ₹22.2 crore fine is a significant blow to IndiGo's reputation, but the airline remains committed to serving the needs of the people and ensuring the country emerges as a global aviation major by 2030.
