India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Wednesday deployed officials to both IndiGo’s corporate offices and key airports across the country, signaling heightened oversight amid the airline’s ongoing operational crisis. The intervention comes after nearly nine days of mass flight cancellations, stranded passengers, and chaotic baggage handling, which have affected millions of flyers and raised serious questions about IndiGo’s operational management and its impact on the aviation sector.

The DGCA’s move involves an eight-member team of senior flight operations inspectors who are tasked with scrutinizing the airline’s fleet, network planning, crew utilization, and overall operations. In parallel, a two-member team has been stationed at IndiGo’s corporate office to monitor cancellations, delays, refunds, and baggage issues. Both teams are required to submit daily reports, ensuring continuous regulatory oversight.

Officials emphasized that the crisis is not only operational but also financial. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that IndiGo’s third-quarter revenue could be significantly impacted, and the airline may face substantial fines if operational lapses are confirmed. The airline, which controls over 65% of India’s domestic aviation market, cancelled thousands of flights between December 2 and 9, leaving passengers scrambling for alternatives and airports overwhelmed with misdirected luggage.

The airline’s board has acknowledged the crisis, with Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta confirming that external technical experts will be brought in to assess the root causes of the operational meltdown. “The IndiGo board has decided to involve external experts to work with management and help determine the root cause,” Mehta said, marking the first official admission of the airline’s errors since the disruptions began.

Industry experts point to a combination of aggressive scheduling and operational mismanagement as the underlying factors. IndiGo has historically relied on intensive night-flight utilization and tight scheduling, which was destabilized by recent safety regulations that increased the mandatory weekly rest period for pilots. This disruption coincided with the airline’s prioritization of international flights, leading to widespread domestic cancellations and delays.

Despite efforts by the DGCA to stabilize operations—including exemptions allowing pilots’ leave to count toward weekly rest requirements—the airline continued to struggle. On December 5, DGCA permitted certain relaxations for IndiGo’s Airbus A320 fleet to help restore services. However, aviation analysts have cautioned that such measures, while operationally necessary, could compromise safety standards if not carefully monitored.

The civil aviation ministry has also taken steps to review operations at 11 smaller airports where IndiGo is the dominant carrier, including Nagpur, Jaipur, Bhopal, Surat, Tirupati, Vijayawada, Shirdi, Cochin, Lucknow, Amritsar, and Dehradun. Ministry teams are inspecting operational and safety protocols, the adequacy of staffing, boarding and security processes, and handling of delays and cancellations. Officials stressed that tens of thousands of passengers were left without alternatives due to IndiGo’s market dominance at these airports.

The DGCA has summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear on Thursday with comprehensive operational data and updates regarding the ongoing disruptions. This comes as the airline continues to cancel and delay hundreds of flights daily, despite public assurances of restored operations. On Wednesday alone, IndiGo cancelled 220 flights, highlighting the persistent scale of the crisis.

Legal scrutiny has also intensified. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday questioned the government and airlines about the escalation of fares during the crisis. Judges Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela raised concerns over tickets that surged from ₹5,000 to ₹30,000–₹39,000 on some routes, pointing out that other carriers appeared to exploit the situation. The ministry had earlier capped fares to protect passengers, but enforcement challenges persisted, leading to complaints about airlines violating the price ceiling.

The government’s intervention also includes trimming IndiGo’s winter schedule by 10%, which amounts to reducing approximately 220 daily flights, as the airline works to regain control over operations. Officials said that once the crisis stabilizes, the temporary fare caps would be removed. The ministry continues to monitor the airline’s progress in restoring flights, re-accommodating affected passengers, and prioritizing vulnerable travelers such as the elderly, medical patients, and unaccompanied minors.

For passengers, the disruptions have been disruptive and costly. Thousands faced difficulties obtaining refunds, rescheduling flights, or retrieving misdirected baggage. Airports were congested, and check-in, security, and boarding processes faced severe pressure, highlighting systemic gaps in operational contingency planning.

This episode underscores the challenges of India’s rapidly growing aviation market, particularly for low-cost carriers like IndiGo, which dominate domestic operations. Analysts note that while aggressive scheduling and cost efficiencies have driven profitability, such models are vulnerable to regulatory changes, workforce limitations, and operational bottlenecks. The IndiGo crisis is now serving as a case study in the importance of regulatory oversight, risk management, and passenger service preparedness in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets.

As DGCA continues to oversee IndiGo’s recovery, the coming days will be critical in restoring confidence among passengers and regulators alike. The airline’s ability to stabilize operations, implement corrective measures, and ensure transparency in communication will determine both its financial performance for the third quarter and its reputation in India’s competitive aviation landscape.