New Delhi, 10 December (H.S.): The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken a stern stance against IndiGo, India’s largest airline, following the carrier’s recent operational crisis. The aviation regulator has summoned IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, to appear in person at 3 p.m. on Thursday for a detailed explanation.

According to the DGCA order issued on Wednesday, Elbers has been instructed to present a comprehensive report on December 11, outlining the airline’s internal shortcomings. Earlier, the IndiGo CEO had sought an additional day to submit his response — a request the regulator accepted but made it clear that no further delays will be tolerated.The DGCA has pointed to several critical lapses within the airline, including shortage of crew members, flawed rostering, violations of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), failure to timely inform passengers, and frequent mishandling of luggage.

The regulator noted that these persistent issues have severely inconvenienced passengers nationwide.In a related move, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, late on Tuesday evening, directed IndiGo to reduce its flight operations by 10 percent until stability is restored. The ministry has also instructed the airline to prioritize passenger convenience by expediting flight refunds and ensuring timely baggage delivery.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar