VINOD BHAT
NEW DELHI, Dec 8: Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Monday that it has received IndiGo’s formal response to the Show Cause Notice issued after the recent nationwide wave of operational disruptions and large-scale flight cancellations. The airline’s written reply, signed jointly by its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, reached the DGCA headquarters on the evening of December 8.
IndiGo, in its statement, expressed what it described as a “profuse apology” and conveyed deep regret for the inconvenience and hardship caused to passengers over the past several days. Admitting that thousands of travellers were affected, the airline attributed the sudden breakdown of its schedules to what it termed an “unfortunate and unforeseeable confluence” of several contributing elements that aggravated each other simultaneously.
The airline also made it clear that, at this stage, it is not in a position to conclusively determine the exact reasons behind the crisis. Citing the scale and complexity of its network, IndiGo noted that a complete assessment requires additional time. The company pointed out that DGCA guidelines permit a 15-day window for responding to a notice and assured that a comprehensive Root Cause Analysis will be submitted once completed.
In its preliminary explanation, IndiGo indicated that a mixture of operational challenges, seasonal factors, weather-related issues and system congestion came together during the transition to the winter schedule. It further acknowledged that the implementation of updated Flight Duty Time Limitation rules for crew members added an additional layer of difficulty, ultimately affecting crew availability. The airline said it had already been in discussions with the DGCA about its challenges in complying with the second phase of the new duty-time norms, and had sought exemptions and temporary variations. According to IndiGo, the disruption began intensifying in the first week of December, when the cumulative effect of these issues led to a decline in on-time performance across its network.
In an attempt to stabilise operations, IndiGo said it undertook what it called a “network reboot” on December 5 by cancelling a substantial number of flights across various routes. The move, the airline argued, helped free up aircraft and crew, eased congestion at airports and allowed stranded passengers to be rescheduled or refunded. According to the company, services began returning to normal the following day.
Responding to criticism from passengers, IndiGo maintained that it had issued timely alerts regarding cancellations and provided facilitation measures such as meals, refreshments, hotel stays and local transportation wherever feasible, as required by DGCA’s Civil Aviation Requirements. The carrier added that most affected passengers have already received refunds.
The DGCA stated that IndiGo’s reply is currently under detailed examination and that further regulatory action will be determined after a complete review. The unprecedented disruption has raised broader questions about preparedness within India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector, particularly during seasonal transitions and regulatory shifts related to pilot and crew management.
