In a bid to understand its recent operational disruptions, IndiGo has recruited a former senior advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct an independent review.
On December 12, 2025, IndiGo confirmed that Captain John Illson, from US consultancy Chief Aviation Advisors, would review and assess the reasons behind swathes of flight cancellations this month.
“The objective is to conduct an independent root cause analysis of the recent operational disruption, besides opportunities for improvement,” the airline said in a statement.
According to IndiGo, the decision to hire Captain Illson and his team came after a recommendation from the Crisis Management Group (CMG), which was constituted by the airline’s board.
“With the Board’s approval now in place, the review will begin at the earliest, and the independent expert reviewer will submit a comprehensive report to the Board upon completion,” the statement added.
IndiGo highlighted Captain Illson’s four decades of experience at the FAA, IACO, IATA and other major global airlines.
“With an illustrious track record in global air transport, he brings extensive expertise in global aviation strategy, customized consultancy, safety leadership, setting international standards and new aircraft technologies,” the airline said.
On December 11, 2025, IndiGo declared that it “regrettably acknowledged” that many of the customers travelling with the airline between December 3-5, 2025, were left stranded for hours and offered compensation to those passengers severely impacted.
During days of operational meltdown, IndiGo was forced to cancel over 3,000 flights after critical staff shortages.
Central to the problems were new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules recently introduced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
These include a weekly rest period for pilots of 48 hours, plus a reduction in night landings from a possible six to two.
Indian aviation authorities have now told IndiGo to cut 10% of its Winter schedule to help with operations in the near future.
IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Pieter Elbers, and its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Isidre Porqueras were also recently served with a show cause notice, requiring them to provide an explanation for disruptions.
