IndiGo chaos: DGCA suspends 4 flight operations inspectors

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday, Dec 12, suspended four flight operations inspectors (FOIs) in a tacit admission of regulatory gaps during the IndiGo scheduling meltdown that affected millions of flyers this month even as the embattled airline’s chief appeared before the regulator for a second day running.
These inspectors are senior officials who work as part of DGCA’s regulatory and safety oversight functions, often deployed to monitor airline operations. “Contracts of these FOIs with the DGCA have been terminated in relation to the recent IndiGo crisis,” an official said, citing the order dated December 11.
The officers are Rishi Raj Chatterjee, consultant, deputy chief FOI, Seema Jhamnani, senior FOI, Anil Kumar Pokhariyal, consultant FOI, and Priyam Kaushik, consultant FOI. Chatterjee worked with Vistara, Jhamnani with the erstwhile Indian Airlines, Pokhariyal with Alliance Air, and Kaushik with IndiGo, till 2024, said people aware of developments.
“Consequent upon approval of the competent authority, the following FOls under various categories, on contract basis, in DGCA are hereby relieved from DGCA with immediate effect to join their respective parent organisations,” the order stated. The action came amid mounting criticism of the airline and the government’s handling of the crisis that saw thousands of scrapped flights, millions of stranded passengers and airports overflowing with misdirected pieces of baggage since December 2. Even on Friday, around 160 flights were cancelled, despite assurances of normal operations by the carrier as well as the government.