IndiGo Crew Rostering Failure Triggered Crisis, Strict Action Likely: Aviation Minister in Rajya Sabha

By A Staff Reporter

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that the recent IndiGo crisis was the result of internal failures in the airline’s crew-rostering and planning systems, not any shortcomings in regulatory oversight. Addressing concerns raised by members, the minister said that IndiGo was responsible for managing its crew schedules as part of its daily operational mandate.

Naidu clarified that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry had been strictly ensuring compliance with Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). “There has been absolutely no compromise on FDTL implementation,” he said, adding that officials had been monitoring the situation for an entire month.

He detailed that on December 1, the Ministry held a meeting with IndiGo after the airline sought clarifications on FDTL norms. “They did not flag any operational difficulties at that time, and everything appeared normal,” the minister noted. However, on December 3, the Ministry observed sudden disruptions, prompting swift intervention.

“We immediately took control of the situation at airports and consulted all stakeholders,” Naidu said. He acknowledged that passengers faced significant inconvenience during the two-day disruption and stressed that the government does not take such incidents lightly.