Indigo received tax notice.
The country’s largest airline Indigo is under immense pressure these days. The airline, which is struggling with operational problems, has now suffered another major setback. The company informed on Friday that IndiGo has received a tax and penalty notice of ₹ 58.75 crore for the financial year 202021 from the CGST office of Delhi South Commissionerate. The airline was already under attack from passengers troubled by flight cancellations and delays, and now this notice has deepened the crisis.
DGCA’s strictness – four officers suspended
Amidst the ever increasing operational problems of IndiGo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also taken major action. Four Flight Operations Inspectors (FOIs) responsible for monitoring airline safety and rules have been suspended by DGCA.
According to the Aviation Safety Regulator, a four-member committee has been formed which will investigate the real reasons behind the irregularities happening in IndiGo. This panel includes Joint Director General Sanjay Brahmane, Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Senior FOI Kapil Manglik and FOI Lokesh Rampal. Their job is to understand what happened that the airline suddenly came to a massive halt.
Indigo’s operational crisis – thousands of passengers troubled
Indigo’s troubles have increased rapidly in the last few days. Airlines account for more than 60% of the country’s domestic air traffic, so any problem has a direct impact on passengers.
Also read:
America may cool down on Russian oil, India will now get benefit like this
In the last 10 days, Indigo canceled more than 1,000 flights. Delays had now become an everyday thing. Passengers were stranded for hours in many cities, while on Friday alone 50+ flights were canceled from Bengaluru Airport. These cancellations did not happen suddenly, the airline says that due to the new rules of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) the crew is not available.
FDTL rules increased problems
The new FDTL rules, which came into effect from November 1, have increased the rest hours for pilots and crew. Limits have also been set on night duty, and at least 48 hours of rest a week is mandatory.
The purpose of these changes was to increase safety, but the airline says that their sudden implementation has disrupted the schedule. This resulted in crew shortage and flights had to be canceled frequently.
Government’s strict warning
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has clearly said that no airline, no matter how big it is, will be allowed to harass passengers. He said in Parliament that the FDTL rules were implemented only after consultation with all the stakeholders, so the airline will have to follow them. After this warning from the government, the pressure on Indigo has increased further to bring the situation under control as soon as possible.
How difficult is the road ahead?
IndiGo is going through a complicated phase amidst tax penalties, DGCA investigation, crew shortage and increasing flight cancellations. Many experts believe that the airline will have to make major changes in its operations and manpower management, otherwise the situation may worsen.