Govt mulling action against IndiGo over spate of cancellations? What we know so far

AS indigo plant airlines hogged the headlines o'er the yesteryear few years for unprecedented rase of flight cancellations and delays, the government has reportedly said that appropriate action will be taken based on the outcomes of the inquiry committee findings.In fresh update, IndiGo now faces a show-cause notice from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and has been asked to respond within 24 hours.Track updates on IndiGo cancellation chaosAs flight disruptions continued for the fifth straight day, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, along with senior civil aviation ministry officials, held a "serious meeting" with IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to review the situation and address the issues, PTI reported quoting senior official said.Also read: 'Engaging atmosphere reigned': Shashi Tharoor after attending President Murmu’s dinner for PutinThe meeting was reportedly attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, and DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, among others.High-level panel to probe cancellationsOn Friday, the government ordered a high-level inquiry into the ongoing IndiGo flight crisis as four mass cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.Also read: ‘No work calls after office hours’: Private member’s bill in Lok Sabha seeks employees’ right to disconnectCivil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday said the probe would “examine what went wrong at IndiGo” and “determine accountability wherever required for appropriate actions.”He added that the investigation would also “recommend measures to prevent similar disruptions in the future, ensuring that passengers do not face such hardships again.”Also read: Govt's big order to IndiGo on refunds, baggage handling. Airline respondsThe aviation watchdog, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has constituted a four member committee to undertake comprehensive review and assess circumstances that led to such massive disruptions in the scheduled flights.Govt orders IndiGo to issue refunds, cap on airfareWhile chaos continued to unfold at airports across the country on Saturday, with over 800 cancellations, the ministry of civil aviation ordered IndiGo to issue refunds by December 7 and ensure baggage is delivered to the passengers within 48 hours. The government also capped the airfares between ₹7,000 to ₹18,000 after unprecedented surge in flight ticket costs was reported.The ministry said the decision was taken “in public interest” and will remain in force until prices stabilise or a further review is conducted. The fare caps will apply to all bookings, whether made directly on an airline website or through online travel portals.Airlines have been told to maintain adequate ticket availability across fare buckets and explore adding capacity on high-demand sectors. They must also avoid steep fare spikes on routes hit by cancellations and provide maximum support to affected passengers, including rebooking options where possible. Earlier, reports suggested that domestic flight airfare on some routes was higher than some international routes such as Dubai and Thailand.