IndiGo flight count rises over 2,000 as DGCA tightens oversight

The airline has been continuously increasing its number of flights. It operated over 1,700 flights on December 8, over 1,800 on December 9, over 1,900 and 1,950 on December 10 and 11, respectively. The airline said that it would operate over 2,050 flights on Friday, i.e. December 12.

"All our 138 operational destinations are connected, and our on-time performance has been consistently normal as per IndiGo standards," the airline said in a statement.

"Yesterday, we operated over 1,950 flights with just four cancellations, due to unfavourable weather, with all affected customers promptly informed to avoid inconvenience," the statement added.

Post the major disruption that had erupted in the domestic civil aviation industry due to operational failure of the airline, IndiGo appointed an independent aviation consultancy to investigate the recent operational disruption that affected its flights.

The airline said its Board has approved hiring Chief Aviation Advisors LLC to carry out a detailed review and identify the factors that caused the issue.

“The Board has approved the appointment of Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by Captain John Illson, veteran Aviation Expert, to conduct an independent expert review and assessment of the recent operational disruption and the contributing factors,” the airline said in a statement.

Captain Illson has over 40 years of experience in global aviation. He has worked with major international bodies such as the FAA, ICAO and IATA, as well as leading airlines around the world.

Earlier, the DGCA dismissed four flight inspectors who were responsible for monitoring the safety and operational standards of IndiGo.

The action comes amid the deep crisis at the airline, which has cancelled thousands of flights this month due to poor planning and failure to meet stricter safety norms. According to sources, the DGCA acted against the inspectors after finding negligence in their inspection and monitoring duties.

The regulator has now deployed two special oversight teams at IndiGo’s Gurugram office to track the airline’s operations closely. Additionally, earlier this week, IndiGo was ordered to reduce its operations by 10 per cent to stabilise its schedules and control further disruptions. The airline usually operates around 2,200 flights per day.