The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, DGCA, has imposed a fine of 22.20 crore rupees on IndiGo following large-scale delays and cancellations by the airline in early December last year.
During the period of 3rd and 5th December, cancellation of 2,507 flights and delays of 1,852 flights caused inconvenience to over three lakh passengers stranded at various airports.
The fine was imposed following a detailed inquiry conducted by a four-member Committee constituted by the DGCA to undertake a comprehensive review and assessment of the circumstances leading to the operational disruptions of IndiGo.
The fine includes a one-time systemic penalty of 1.80 crore rupees for multiple violations of Civil Aviation Requirements and a daily penalty of 30 lakh rupees for 68 days between 5th December last year to 10th February this year, amounting to a penalty of 20.40 crore rupees.
The inquiry committee constituted by DGCA found that the primary causes for the disruption were over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, shortcomings in management structure and operational control.
The Committee observed that the airline’s management failed to adequately identify planning deficiencies, maintain sufficient operational buffer, and effectively implement the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) provisions.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Inquiry further noted an overriding focus on maximising utilisation of crew, aircraft, and network resources, which significantly reduced roster buffer margins.
The Ministry stated that this approach compromised roster integrity and adversely affected operational resilience.
