Deadline For Panel's Report On IndiGo Flight Chaos Extended Till Friday

The civil aviation regulator DGCA has extended the deadline for a four-member committee to submit its report on the massive disruptions of IndiGo's flight operations, sources said.

The panel, headed by Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane, was initially scheduled to submit its findings within 15 days, by December 20.

The deadline has been extended till Friday, or December 26. It has been over 20 days since the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent show cause notice to IndiGo over the flight disruptions that led to chaos all around, with hundreds of passengers stranded in the holiday and wedding season.

The airline had sought 15 days to respond to the notice.

The panel has already taken the statements of IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras.

IndiGo faced a major operational crisis earlier this month with massive flight cancellations, mainly due to a lack of planning in implementing the new flight duty norms for pilots.

Over 2,000 flights were cancelled in a week, stranding thousands during peak travel season, primarily in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Delhi.

In the wake of the disruptions, the Civil Aviation Ministry reduced IndiGo's winter flight schedule by 10 per cent and also imposed airfare caps to curb steep increases in air ticket prices.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry received some 100 complaints linked to IndiGo ticket cancellations, and has forwarded them to the DGCA, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Wednesday.

Some consumers sought compensation after missing connecting flights and facing other consequences, she said.

The DGCA and the Civil Aviation Ministry will handle the complaints as they oversee the sector, Khare said, adding her department would track cases where consumers want to litigate.

Khare attributed the limited number of complaints to "very proactive work" by the Civil Aviation Ministry in addressing the issue.