IndiGo request more time to respond to Show-Cause Notice, lists preliminary contributing factors for fiasco

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday confirmed that IndiGo Airlines has responded to the Show-Cause notice on the airline's fiasco that led to widespread cancellations last week.
DGCA, in a release, stated that the airlines have requested more time to respond to the Show-Cause notice, stating that it is "realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)" at this time, considering the "complexity and vast scale of operations."
IndiGo did suggest some preliminary contributing factors that led to this fiasco, listing the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) order as one of them.
"The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received IndiGo's response to the Show Cause Notice issued in connection with the recent large-scale operational disruptions and flight Cancellations across the airline's network," DGCA said in a release.
IndiGo states it is "realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)" at this time due to the complexity and vast scale of operations. They note that the DGCA's manual allows a fifteen-day response timeline for SCNs, suggesting more time is needed to conduct a comprehensive 'Root Cause Analysis' (RCA). The complete RCA will be shared once finished," they added.
Along with the FDTL order, IndiGo mentioned other contributing factors such as "minor technical glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions."
"Preliminary Contributing Factors: The airline suggests that the disruption resulted from a combination of the following factors, which coincided in lesser or greater measure: 1. Minor technical glitches. 2. Schedule changes linked to the start of the winter season. 3. Adverse weather conditions. 4. Increased congestion in the aviation system. 5. Implementation of and operation under the updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitation Phase II)," DGCA shared IndiGo's response.
"IndiGo notes they had been engaging with the DGCA regarding challenges in implementing the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) Phase II and were seeking variations, exemptions, or extensions. The disruptions began in early December when the compounding factors resulted in a lower On-Time Network Performance, which affected crew availability. Network Reboot: On December 5, 2025, IndiGo took the "drastic measure" of "rebooting" the network by taking a significant number of cancellations to recover stranded customers, ease airport congestion, and reposition crew/aircraft," they added.
The DGCA had issued the notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers after widespread cancellations and delays caused frustration among passengers across India. (ANI)