DGCA steps up oversight of airlines after IndiGo disruptions

Metro India News | NEW DELHI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has intensified monitoring of airlines to ensure strict compliance with regulations, the civil aviation ministry said on Monday.

The move comes in the wake of large-scale operational disruptions at IndiGo in December 2025, which led to hundreds of flight cancellations and affected thousands of passengers. Responding in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the disruptions were primarily caused by over-optimisation of operations, gaps in regulatory preparedness, deficiencies in software systems, and shortcomings in management and operational control.

To prevent similar issues, DGCA has introduced more robust measures. These include weekly and fortnightly monitoring of critical operations and bi-monthly visits by the regulator’s inspector to airline offices. The focus is on crew availability, roster integrity, buffer adequacy, system robustness, and adherence to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

From 2023 to 2025, DGCA identified 550 Level-II repetitive findings across operators and organisations and took 29 enforcement actions. Level-I findings, which require immediate correction within seven days, have all been closed as of December 31, 2025. Level-II issues must be resolved within 30 days.

The minister added that airlines cannot continue operations with unresolved Level-I findings except in rare controlled circumstances. In cases of violations, DGCA may issue warnings, suspend operations, revoke licenses or certificates, and impose financial penalties.

These steps are aimed at strengthening operational safety, preventing service disruptions, and ensuring passengers are not adversely impacted by lapses in airline management or compliance.