New Delhi — The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended four senior Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) as investigations intensify into IndiGo’s massive operational collapse that left lakhs of passengers stranded and forced thousands of flight cancellations nationwide.
IndiGo cancelled more than 50 flights from Bengaluru Airport on Friday alone, including 31 arrivals and 23 departures. The airline had already scrapped over 200 flights from Delhi and Bengaluru on Thursday, worsening the chaos for travellers.
According to officials, the suspended FOIs are key members of the DGCA’s regulatory and safety oversight framework. FOIs are responsible for auditing, inspecting and certifying airlines, pilots, cabin crew, dispatchers and other aviation personnel to ensure strict compliance with safety norms. Their role includes monitoring training standards, flight procedures and accident prevention mechanisms.
A senior official confirmed that the suspensions were linked to the recent large-scale disruptions, though details of their specific lapses are still under review.
Meanwhile, DGCA scrutiny of IndiGo has intensified. Officials have stationed themselves at the airline’s headquarters to oversee real-time operations. On Thursday, CEO Pieter Elbers was questioned by a DGCA inquiry panel, and both Elbers and COO Isidre Porqueras have been summoned again for another round of questioning at 2 pm on Friday.
The crisis is believed to have stemmed from IndiGo’s troubled transition to the second phase of new flight duty norms for pilots, which triggered widespread staffing shortages and operational imbalances across the network.
