Government considers 'removal of IndiGo CEO' as pilot-rest chaos triggers nationwide flight meltdown

The government is considering seeking the removal of IndiGo chief executive Pieter Elbers, senior officials have indicated, after the airline’s mishandling of newly introduced pilot rest regulations triggered massive disruptions nationwide. The carrier’s inability to comply smoothly with the revised crew duty norms resulted in thousands of cancellations and left passengers stranded across multiple airports.

Sources suggested that an unusually strong punitive response is being prepared. The aviation ministry summoned IndiGo’s top management this evening, and a substantial monetary penalty is believed to be under active discussion. Authorities are also examining whether to temporarily scale back the number of flights the airline is authorised to operate—an action that would mark the toughest intervention yet against India’s largest domestic carrier, which controls nearly two-thirds of the market.

Aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu had confirmed on Monday that IndiGo would face consequences, though he did not specify what form they might take. A high-level probe into the chain of events has already been set up, and the minister has said that decisions will follow its findings.

Elbers has publicly acknowledged the scale of the crisis, apologising for what he described as the airline’s “most severely impacted” day—a period during which more than a thousand flights were grounded. Naidu emphasised that this admission only underlined the airline’s responsibility, adding that no other carrier had encountered similar difficulties while implementing the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) issued to ensure longer rest hours for pilots.

IndiGo’s internal miscalculation of pilot availability under the updated rules appears to have triggered the collapse in operations. The airline has struggled to maintain schedules on domestic routes, leading to widespread cancellations—over a thousand yesterday alone, with hundreds more today. With seats on other airlines selling out instantly or priced steeply, many travellers were left with little choice but to abandon their plans or pay exorbitant fares.

In an attempt to stabilise the situation, the government has put the new FDTL norms on hold, hoping that the pause will allow the airline to restore operations to normal levels within the next few days. Naidu has indicated that while the worst of the crisis seems to have passed, IndiGo may need another couple of days before it can return to full operational capacity.