The central government has informed the Delhi High Court that it directed IndiGo to dismiss its Senior Vice President following last month’s large-scale flight cancellations that triggered one of India’s worst aviation disruptions. The move comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny over the airline’s operational failures in December.
The development coincided with IndiGo reporting a sharp 75% decline in quarterly profit after taking a $63 million hit due to mass cancellations, according to a Reuters report.
Government Direction to IndiGo
The Centre told the Delhi High Court that IndiGo was asked to remove its Senior Vice President from service as part of corrective action following the cancellation crisis.
DGCA Probe Findings
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), after an inquiry by a four-member committee, concluded that the crisis stemmed from over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, weak system software support, and shortcomings in the airline’s management structure.
Financial Impact on Airline
IndiGo reported a 75% drop in quarterly profit, attributing a $63 million loss to widespread flight cancellations in December.
Penalty Imposed
The DGCA imposed a penalty of ₹22.2 crore on IndiGo for violations linked to the operational breakdown.
Warnings to Senior Executives
Regulatory warnings were issued to six senior executives, including Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras Orea, the deputy head of flight operations, and a resource analyst.
Regulatory Oversight Tightened
The aviation regulator said the actions were aimed at enforcing accountability and preventing recurrence of such large-scale disruptions.
