IndiGo May Face 5% Schedule Cut as Government Plans Tough Action

New Delhi: The matter is now becoming serious after the incidents of frequent flight cancellations of Indigo. According to sources, the government is considering reducing the company's timetable by 5 percent. This means that around 110 daily flights can be given to other airlines, provided they have spare capacity. If the situation does not improve, then the possibility of another 5 percent cut in the coming days is also open.

Indigo's clarification letter: 5 reasons given

In response to the show-cause notice received from DGCA, IndiGo has described itself as being in a state of “deep regret” and has listed five reasons. These reasons include new FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitation) rules, winter schedule changes, increased traffic in the system, bad weather, and minor technical issues. The airline says that it is difficult to attribute responsibility to any one reason in such a large network, and they need more time for a detailed investigation.

Preparing for strict action?

DGCA is currently reviewing the company's response. On the other hand, the Civil Aviation Ministry has clearly indicated that action will be taken at the “appropriate time.” Now it will be interesting to see whether IndiGo gets additional time or not, because the dissatisfaction of passengers is continuously increasing.

Sources say that DGCA may reduce IndiGo's flight operations in proportion to its available crew and give the vacant slots to other airlines. Apart from financial penalty, DGCA can also take action against the top executives of the airline—the CEO and COO. The company is also expressing the possibility of changes in some responsible positions.

The incident of December 5 became the turning point

IndiGo said the mass cancellation of flights on December 5 was a kind of “reboot” to accommodate stranded passengers, reduce airport congestion, and reset crew and aircraft positioning. More than 1,000 flights were affected that day, almost half of the airline's entire operations.

DGCA investigation team can summon officers

The four-member team of DGCA investigating this entire matter, which is led by Joint DG Sanjay Brahmane, may soon call IndiGo CEO Peter Albers and COO Isidre Porcaras. This team will find out why IndiGo lagged behind in implementing the new FDTL rules and whether the company's rostering and manpower planning were adequate.

The increasing pressure on IndiGo and the strictness of the government clearly indicate that problems for India's largest airline may increase in the coming days.