The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday escalated its action against IndiGo’s ongoing flight disruption crisis, terminating the services of four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) and summoning the airline’s chief for an urgent review meeting.
According to an official notice issued by the DGCA, the four FOIs — Rish Raj Chatterjee, Seema Jhamnani, Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, and Priyam Kaushik — have been relieved of their duties with immediate effect.
The order stated: “Consequent upon approval of the Competent Authority, the following FOIs under various categories, on contract basis, in DGCA are hereby relieved from DGCA with immediate effect to join their respective parent organisations: Rish Raj Chatterjee, Consultant [Dy. CFOI(A)]; Seema Jhamnani, SFOI(A); Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, Consultant [FOI(A)]; and Priyam Kaushik, Consultant [FOI(A)].”
The move comes amid the regulator’s intensified scrutiny of IndiGo following a wave of mass flight cancellations and delays over the past week, which triggered chaos at several major airports.
IndiGo CEO Summoned
A special four-member DGCA Committee will meet IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Friday to examine the reasons behind the disruptions. The committee was formed specifically to investigate the operational breakdown.
DGCA had earlier issued a show-cause notice to Elbers. In its response, IndiGo sought more time, stating that it was, “Realistically, not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)” at this time due to the “complexity and vast scale of operations.”
Government Assures Stability
Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told the Lok Sabha that operations were “stabilising fast,” and that airports were no longer reporting “crowding or distress.” He reiterated that “safety in Civil Aviation remains non-negotiable.”
IndiGo Offers Compensation
Acknowledging the inconvenience faced by passengers between December 3 and December 5, IndiGo said travellers experienced prolonged delays and were stranded at several airports due to heavy congestion.
The airline announced travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 for severely affected customers, redeemable for any IndiGo flight within the next 12 months.
