DGCA May Ask IndiGo To Reduce Flights
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is likely to ask IndiGo to reduce its flight operations temporarily. The move is being considered after a severe pilot shortage led to thousands of cancellations and delays in recent days.
Officials said the disruption began after new duty and rest regulations for pilots came into effect on November 1. IndiGo did not adjust its roster in time, which resulted in fewer available crew members to operate a large schedule.
Committee Formed To Examine Failures
A DGCA committee has been set up to review planning deficiencies at the airline. The regulator has also issued a notice to IndiGo’s management, asking why the airline continued operating at full capacity despite warnings.
IndiGo has said it is working to stabilise operations and expects improvement soon. However, authorities are considering asking other airlines to increase services to ensure passengers are not inconvenienced.
Other Airlines May Step Up
Air India and other carriers may be asked to operate additional flights on key routes until IndiGo recovers its staffing. This is expected to help maintain capacity during the busy travel period.
Experts noted that India’s aviation market depends heavily on IndiGo, which carries the largest share of domestic passengers. Any operational issue affects large numbers of travellers across the country.
