IndiGo crisis | DGCA summons airline's CEO, demands operational details; orders inspection of crowd management at airport

The CEO, along with senior officials from all relevant departments have been instructed to be present before the DGCA on December 11.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Wednesday ordered IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to present “comprehensive data and updates” regarding recent operational disruptions and summoned him on for December 11.

The CEO, along with senior officials from all relevant departments have been instructed to be present before the DGCA on the said date at 3 pm.

Details on flight restoration must include status of ongoing flight restoration across the network, progress in re-accommodating affected passengers, priority handling of vulnerable passengers (elderly, medical, unaccompanied minors) and monitoring mechanism to ensure timely completion of restoration.

They must also produce recruitment plan for pilots & crew, under which updated position of pilot and cabin crew strength, recruitment and training pipeline for upcoming months and measures taken to prevent roster shortages and FDTL-related issues are to be detailed.

The airline must also provide details on cancellation refunds, baggage return.

Additionally, a detailed report on Re-routing after cancellation has also been sought.

Further, the DGCA also said it would carryout immediate on-site inspection at select airports to assess safety, operational preparedness, passenger facilitation measures, and airline responsiveness during the ongoing disruption.

The assigned officers will visit the airports within the next three days and provide a detailed report to the authority within 24 hours.

The report will cover operational & safety aspects. This includes status of flight delays and cancellations, congestion at terminal areas, queue management at check-in, security and boarding gates, adequacy of airline and airport operational manpower, manning of airline help desks on a 24×7 basis, information dissemination to passengers regarding delays, cancellations and alternate arrangements and the availability of basic passenger amenities such as drinking water.

The report will also be submitted with regards to additional checks. This includes special assistance for senior citizens, children, pregnant women and PRMs, adequate seating/chairs in passenger holding areas, presence of senior airline management at airports, hygiene and cleanliness of toilets and terminal areas. availability and deployment of housekeeping staff., status of pending baggage delivery and any backlog and interaction with passengers to obtain direct feedback.