IndiGo faces aviation regulator’s ire as flight disruptions continue for five days

India’s aviation regulator DGCA has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidro Porqueras, demanding explanations within 24 hours for massive flight disruptions that have persisted for five consecutive days.

New Delhi: Aviation watchdog DGCA on Saturday issued show cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras seeking explanations within 24 hours on the massive flight disruptions, according to sources.

For five days in a row, IndiGo has witnessed significant operational disruptions with hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, causing hardships to thousands of passengers.

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In the notices sent to Elbers and Porqueras, the regulator said the large-scale operational failures indicate significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management.

Porqueras is the Accountable Manager and Chief Operating Officer at IndiGo.

“… as the CEO, you are responsible for ensuring effective management of the airline but you have failed in your duty to ensure timely arrangements for conduct of reliable operations and the availability of requisite facilities to the passengers,” the regulator said in the notice sent to Elbers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked Elbers and Porqueras to reply within 24 hours.

The notices mentioned that the primary cause of the flight disruptions is non-provisioning of adequate arrangements to cater to the revised requirements for smooth implementation of the approved FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) scheme for the airline.

On Saturday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu along with senior civil aviation ministry officials held a “serious meeting” with Elbers to review the situation and address the issues, a government official said.

The official also said authorities will take appropriate action on the IndiGo flight disruptions depending on the inquiry committee findings.