Pilots criticise Rs 22.20-cr IndiGo penalty as insufficient

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Monday criticised the aviation regulator DGCA for imposing a Rs 22.20 crore penalty on IndiGo for large-scale flight disruptions in December, calling the fine “very meagre” and warning that passenger safety cannot be “traded off.”

The DGCA had announced penalties after a detailed probe, including a fine of Rs 20.40 crore for non-compliance over 68 days from December 5, 2025, to February 10, 2026, translating to Rs 30 lakh per day. The regulator also issued warnings to CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidre Proqueras and ordered the removal of Senior Vice President for Operations Control Centre Jason Herter for lapses in compliance.

Between December 3 and 5, 2,507 flights were cancelled and 1,852 delayed, affecting over 3 lakh passengers nationwide. DGCA cited over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, and system software deficiencies as primary reasons for the disruptions.

FIP questioned the probe’s timeline, noting that cancellations began on December 2 and continued beyond December 15, mostly as delays. Pilots’ union president G S Randhawa said the regulator’s focus on only three days of cancellations was “questionable.” He also highlighted that despite aircraft, pilots, and cabin crew being available, flights were not dispatched, pointing to operational mismanagement rather than crew shortages.

Randhawa criticised the trading of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms against fines, saying duty hours and rest periods are designed for passenger safety. He cited the example of the US Department of Transport, which imposed a USD 140 million penalty on Southwest Airlines for holiday disruptions in 2022 and distributed compensation to affected passengers.

The DGCA had curtailed IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10 per cent to ease compliance with FDTL norms and formed a four-member committee led by Joint Director General Sanjay K Brahmane to review the disruptions. The panel submitted its report on December 27, 2025, leading to the penalties announced last week.