A parliamentary panel is set to question representatives from IndiGo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, regarding the recent widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo and the subsequent disruption faced by thousands of passengers. The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, led by JDU MP Sanjay Jha, is expected to conduct the inquiry.
The committee intends to investigate IndiGo's preparedness in light of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations for pilots and the DGCA's oversight capabilities in anticipating and managing the crisis. The FDTL regulations, consistent with global standards, aim to ensure passenger safety by providing pilots with sufficient rest. There is a suspicion that IndiGo resisted implementing these guidelines, potentially leading to the disruptions, to pressure the ministry into rolling back the regulations. Implementing the new rules would require the airline to hire more pilots.
The parliamentary panel will also address broader issues within the aviation sector, including upgrading Air Traffic Controls (ATCs), the shortage of pilots, and the lack of competition. The committee will likely ask the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA about their monitoring of the new rostering norms. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also been summoned to the meeting.
The DGCA has already taken steps to address the IndiGo crisis, including deploying staff at IndiGo's headquarters to monitor flight cancellations, refunds, on-time performance, compensation to passengers, and baggage return. The DGCA has also ordered IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before them on Thursday, December 11, to present data and updates on the flight disruptions. The regulatory body has also issued show cause notices to IndiGo's CEO and chief operating officer. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has blamed lapses on IndiGo's part for the disruption and has warned of strict action based on the inquiry report. He stated that the DGCA provided sufficient notice to all airlines regarding the implementation of the new FDTL rules.
IndiGo has acknowledged that the disruptions stemmed from misjudgments and planning gaps in implementing the second phase of the new FDTL rules, with the actual crew requirement exceeding their initial estimations. The DGCA granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from some night operations-related changes in the FDTL norms for its Airbus A320 pilots.
In addition to the IndiGo flight cancellations, the parliamentary panel is expected to examine other developments in the sector, such as incidents of GPS spoofing and interference reported at airports. CPI(M) MP AA Rahim raised concerns in Rajya Sabha about airfare caps not being adhered to by airlines, citing an instance where a Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram ticket was priced at an exorbitant Rs 64,783 for an economy class ticket.
