Nearly 1,700 IndiGo pilots trained on inadequate simulators, DGCA says

Budget carrier IndiGo has confirmed it has received a show-cause notice from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) concerning alleged lapses in simulator training provided to nearly 1,700 pilots.

The airline said it is currently reviewing the notice and will respond within the regulator’s stipulated timeline.

In a statement, IndiGo’s spokesperson emphasised the airline’s commitment to safety: “We confirm receipt of a show-cause notice issued by the DGCA pertaining to the simulator training of some of our pilots. We are in the process of reviewing the same and will respond to the regulator within the stipulated timeline. We remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and compliance across our operations.”

The notice follows a DGCA review of the airline’s training records and responses last month, which revealed that Category C — or critical airfield — training had been conducted using simulators that were not fully qualified for operations at certain airports, including Calicut, Leh and Kathmandu. Some of these airports, such as Calicut with its table-top runway, have additional operational requirements.

The DGCA’s scrutiny comes amid broader findings from its audits of domestic carriers over the past year. The regulator reported 263 lapses in aviation safety norms across eight airlines during 23 audits. While higher numbers of findings are “entirely normal” for airlines with extensive operations, some carriers, including Air India, recorded a greater number of issues.

For Air India, Tata Group-owned Air India along with the now-merged Vistara and Air India Express, 93 audit findings were recorded. These included 19 level-1 violations, considered critical safety risks requiring immediate corrective action, and around 100 observations related to training, crew rest and duty periods, and airfield qualifications, according to sources cited by news agency PTI.

The DGCA’s action highlights the ongoing regulatory focus on pilot training and operational safety standards in India’s rapidly growing aviation sector.

With PTI inputs