DGCA orders surprise inspection at 11 airports amid IndiGo flight disruptions on 9th day, lists 13 key pointers

IndiGo flight delays and cancellation continued for the ninth consecutive day on Wednesday due to which aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) instructed officials to conduct immediate onsite inspections at 11 Airports. It listed 13 pointers to be examined and assessed during inspection.

DGCA in its notification dated 10 December said, “In view of passenger inconvenience caused due to large-scale disruptions in the operations of IndiGo Airlines at various airports across the country, it has been decided that DGCA officers shall carry out immediate on-site inspections at the airports listed below….All assigned officers shall visit their respective airports at he earliest (within 2-3 days) and submit a comprehensive report to DGCA Headquarters within 24 hours of completion of the visit to Director of Operations(FSD) jamwal.dgca@nic.in.”

The purpose of this directive is to ensure safety of passengers, assess “operational preparedness, passenger facilitation measures, and airline responsiveness during the ongoing disruption.”

DGCA listed the following pointers instructing the officials to examine at airports:

• Status of flight delays and cancellations
• Status of Congestion at terminal areas
• Queue management at check-in, security and boarding gates.
• Adequacy of airline and airport operational manpower
• Status of airline help desks on a 24x7 basis
• Provision of prompt information to passengers regarding delays, cancellations and alternate arrangements
• Availability of basic passenger amenities such as drinking water
• Provision of special assistance for senior citizens, children, pregnant women and Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM).
• Provision of adequate chairs in passenger holding areas.
• Presence of senior airline management.

• Status of hygiene and cleanliness, especially in toilets and terminal areas.
• Status of housekeeping staff.
• Status of pending baggage delivery.
• Obtain direct feedback from passengers

DGCA also sought comprehensive report on IndiGo's operations and status of flight management. It instructed the airlines to furnish details with respect to 6 key pointers latest by 3:00 PM of 11 December. The airline has been asked to provide relevant details related to restoration of flight services, recruitment plan of pilots and crew, status of flights cancelled and refunds processed, baggage return status, timely communication of information about delays and cancellations and status of re-routing of flights post cancellation.

IndiGo flight cancellations today

On Wednesday, a little over 70 flight cancellations were reported, most of them at the Bengaluru airport.

IndiGo cancelled nearly 61 flights to and from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport on 10 December, including 35 arrivals and 26 departures, a source informed PTI.