IndiGo Chairman Addresses Allegations as DGCA Intensifies Oversight Amid Mass Flight Cancellations

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has been under significant scrutiny over the past 10 days following a wave of nationwide flight cancellations that have affected thousands of passengers. As the disruptions mounted, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta issued a formal video statement addressing the allegations and clarifying the airline’s stance on operational safety, fatigue rules, and management decisions.

The situation escalated after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) constituted a special oversight team to monitor the airline’s operations from its corporate headquarters in Gurugram. With over 4,600 cancellations recorded in just 10 days, the crisis has raised concerns about regulatory compliance, operational planning, and the airline’s ability to manage pilot deployment under new fatigue guidelines.

Chairman Rejects Claims of Rule Manipulation and Safety Compromise

In a strong and clear statement, Mehta dismissed claims circulating on social media and select reports alleging that IndiGo “engineered the crisis” or attempted to influence government policies.
He stated, “That we compromised safety. That the Board was not involved. These claims are incorrect.”
This clarification comes amid speculation that the airline may have struggled to adjust to the revised pilot fatigue and duty-time rules that came into effect earlier this year.

Mehta emphasized that IndiGo has complied with fatigue rules both in July and in November, rejecting any narrative suggesting attempts to bypass regulatory norms. He further asserted that the airline maintained its long-standing safety record throughout the disruptions.

DGCA Deploys Oversight Panel to Monitor Operations

Responding to the scale of the passenger inconvenience, the DGCA issued an internal order deploying a dedicated oversight team to IndiGo’s corporate office.
According to the DGCA, this decision was taken “in view of passenger inconvenience caused due to large-scale disruptions in the operations of IndiGo Airlines at various airports across the country.”

The oversight team is expected to assess:

Crew scheduling efficiency
Compliance with fatigue management rules
Operational decision-making processes
Causes of repeated cancellations across major hubs

This is one of the rare instances where such close regulatory supervision has been directed toward a private airline in India.

Breakdown of Cancellations Over 10 Days

The ongoing crisis has resulted in widespread disruptions across India’s major airports. As of December 11, more than 4,600 flights have been cancelled. The daily breakdown reveals the scale of the crisis:

Dec 2: 150+ cancellations
Dec 3: Nearly 200 cancellations
Dec 4: 300+ cancellations
Dec 5: Approx. 1,600 cancellations
Dec 6: Around 850 cancellations
Dec 7: Around 650 cancellations
Dec 8: Over 500 cancellations
Dec 9: 400+ cancellations
Dec 10: Nearly 220 cancellations
Dec 11: 70+ cancellations

Among cities, Delhi saw the highest number of disruptions, with 137 cancellations on Wednesday alone, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai.

Impact on Passengers and Industry Concerns

The disruptions have left thousands of passengers stranded, prompting calls for clearer communication and compensation measures. Aviation experts note that a combination of new fatigue regulations, resource planning gaps, and crew shortages may have contributed to the extended operational crisis.

The aviation sector is closely watching how IndiGo responds to the DGCA’s oversight and how quickly the airline can stabilize operations.