London, (Zahid Anwar Mirza) — India’s largest airline, IndiGo, has been plunged into a major crisis after the country’s aviation regulator imposed the biggest fine in its history, issued stern warnings to senior management, and ordered the removal of the airline’s Head of Operations Control.

Last month’s large-scale flight disruptions severely crippled India’s aviation system. Nearly 4,500 flights were cancelled during the first weeks of December, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country.

An investigation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed that poor planning of pilot duty rosters was the primary cause of the crisis. According to the regulator’s report, despite the enforcement of stricter new rules, IndiGo failed to carry out timely planning and did not maintain adequate operational buffers to handle contingencies.

The DGCA stated that IndiGo prioritised maximum utilisation of crew, aircraft and network resources, which destabilised the rostering system and placed immense pressure on the airline’s operational capacity.

Notably, despite being described as a record-breaking penalty, the fine amounts to only 0.31 percent of IndiGo’s annual profit for the 2024–25 financial year. In response, IndiGo’s management said it was taking the regulator’s directives seriously and had committed to implementing corrective measures without delay.

Aviation experts say the incident raises serious questions about limited competition and regulatory oversight within India’s rapidly expanding aviation industry.