The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday asked IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before it again on Friday over the massive flight disruptions that perpetrated an aviation crisis in the country, sources said.
Elbers, who appeared before the DGCA on Thursday along with senior officials of the airline after the aviation regulator had asked him to submit a report on the fiasco, will on Friday present himself before the committee that is examining the root cause behind the flight disruptions.
The regulator has sought to know, among other things, what measures IndiGo has initiated to prevent roster shortages and other crew-related issues.
Thousands of IndiGo flights were cancelled over days, stranding lakhs of passengers. The fiasco has been largely attributed to the failure of India’s mainstay airline to align its operations with the government’s new Flight Duty Time Limitations.
The DGCA on Wednesday set up an eight-member oversight committee to monitor the day-to-day functioning of IndiGo, tightening the screws further on the airline a day after it reduced its winter flight schedule.
According to sources, the oversight team began work on Thursday.
Besides enhancing vigil at airports to prevent any further inconvenience to passengers, the DGCA has also directed its inspection teams to carry out short-duration, on-the-spot inspections at arrival airports while travelling for routine audits.
The purpose of these inspections is to assess airport facilities relevant to applicable civil aviation requirements, including safety, operational preparedness, passenger amenities and compliance with maintenance and licensing standards.
The teams have been given the authority to issue immediate instructions to airport operators and stakeholders for rectification of deficiencies, if found. The DGCA has asked the teams to submit brief inspection reports within 48 hours of the completion of the probe.
Travel vouchers
IndiGo has offered travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 to each passenger whose flight was cancelled or delayed for long during December 3-5. The travel vouchers can be used for any future IndiGo journey for the next 12 months. The compensation will be in addition to the amount that needs to be provided to passengers for flight cancellations under DGCA norms.