DGCA Orders IndiGo to Remove Senior VP Jason Herter Over Operational Failures

• The DGCA investigated IndiGo's unprecedented operational disruption in early December, which led to over 2,500 flight cancellations and 1,850 delays, affecting 300,000 passengers.
• The inquiry committee found the crisis stemmed from over-optimization, inadequate regulatory preparedness, software deficiencies, and management shortcomings, particularly in the Operations Control Centre (OCC).
• Jason Herter, Senior Vice President of OCC, was identified as central to the failures, including inadequate planning and poor implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) provisions.
• The DGCA ordered Herter's removal from operational responsibilities and barred him from accountable positions, citing systemic planning failures.
• IndiGo also faced a 10% reduction in daily flights, a Rs 22.2 crore penalty, and was directed to compensate affected passengers.

Why It Matters: DGCA mandates removal of IndiGo's OCC head Jason Herter following major operational failures and passenger disruption.