Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 8: Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of IndiGo Airlines, tumbled in early trading on Monday, plunging 6.6% to an intra-day low of Rs 5,015 on the BSE. The stock later recovered part of the losses and was trading at Rs 5,159.50 around 9:45 a.m., still down ?211 or 3.93%.

The sell-off followed news that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had extended the deadline for IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to respond to a show-cause notice issued over the airline’s recent wave of operational disruptions. The regulator also sent a separate notice to IndiGo’s accountable manager on Sunday.

According to the DGCA, IndiGo’s widespread flight cancellations over the past week caused major inconvenience for passengers nationwide. The regulator said the disruptions stemmed from the airline’s inadequate preparation for the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) — rules that dictate crew duty hours and mandatory rest periods.

In its notice, the DGCA cited “large-scale operational failures” and pointed to possible lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management. The accountable manager has been given 24 hours to justify why enforcement action should not be taken; failure to respond within the extended timeline may prompt the DGCA to proceed unilaterally.

Despite regulatory scrutiny, IndiGo said on Sunday that it has restored 95% of its network and expects to operate about 1,500 flights. The airline projected that operations would stabilise by December 10, with improvements in on-time performance and a drop in cancellations.

However, more than 220 flights had already been cancelled across major airports at the time of reporting, compounding disruptions for thousands of travellers.