The aviation regulator of India fined IndiGo $2.45 million on Saturday, issued a warning to senior executives, and ordered the airline to remove the head of its operations control from his duties after mass flight cancellations last month.
The biggest airline in India cancelled approximately 4,500 flights during the first week of December, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded in the country and raising concerns about competition in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market.
The airline has already admitted that inadequate planning of the pilot roster was the primary reason behind the disruption.
The regulator said in a statement that a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed that the airline had an “overriding focus” following the introduction of stricter rules of pilot rest and duty last year.
The DGCA said, “(IndiGo’s) approach compromised roster integrity and adversely impacted operational resilience.” A government source reported that the fine was the largest imposed by the authority to date, though it amounted to just 0.31 per cent of IndiGo’s annual profit for fiscal 2024/25.
IndiGo stated in a statement that its board and management were “committed to taking full cognizance of the orders and will, in a thoughtful and timely manner, take appropriate measures.”
The DGCA warned various senior executives, such as Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras and Jason Herter, senior vice president of the operations control center. It instructed IndiGo to dismiss Herter from his operating responsibilities.
The regulator added that CEO Pieter Elbers received a “caution” for “inadequate overall oversight of flight operations and crisis management.”
IndiGo also ordered to provide a bank guarantee of $5.51 million in favor of the DGCA to ensure “compliance with the directives and long-term systemic correction.” However, the DGCA reported that an internal probe into how the aviation ministry operates had also commissioned by the regulator.
The cancellations caused the government to temporarily loosen certain regulations on night shifts among pilots to stabilize the operations of IndiGo, an act criticized by pilot unions and safety advocates. The competition regulator of India is evaluating the claims of antitrust breaches by the two-decade-old airline.
