India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is under regulatory scrutiny after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice over alleged lapses in simulator training for nearly 1,700 pilots.
According to sources, the DGCA’s review found that “Category C” – or critical airfield – training for both captains and first officers was conducted using non-qualified simulators. These violations surfaced in late July during a check of pilot training records and IndiGo’s responses to earlier queries.
The regulator concluded that critical airport training – for challenging destinations like Calicut, Leh, and Kathmandu – had been carried out on Full Flight Simulators (FFS) that were not approved for those airports. Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) mandate that such training must take place only on simulators qualified for the specific aircraft type and the operational conditions of the airport in question.
Calicut, for example, has a table-top runway that demands additional safeguards in pilot preparation.
The DGCA identified 20 such simulators spread across facilities including ACAT in Chennai, Airbus in Delhi, CSTPL in Bangalore, Greater Noida and Gurugram, and FSTC in Gurugram and Hyderabad. Many were Airbus A320 and variant simulators lacking the necessary approvals for airports with demanding terrain and operating conditions.
Josh Wood, safety and compliance manager at AirlineRatings, said the finding contributed to a downgrade of IndiGo’s safety rating from 7/7 to 5/7.
“Today’s development, combined with previous incidents and compliance lapses, has led to IndiGo’s safety rating being downgraded. The rapid growth in India’s aviation sector, coupled with rising demand and the urgent need for pilots, is leading to shortcuts that could impact safety,” he said.
In Indian aviation, a show-cause notice is issued when regulators suspect breaches of safety, compliance, or operational requirements and demand an immediate explanation.
IndiGo confirmed receiving the DGCA’s notice, stating:
“We confirm receipt of a show-cause notice issued by the DGCA pertaining to simulator training of some of our pilots. We are reviewing the same and will respond within the stipulated timeline. We remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and compliance across our operations.”
This is not IndiGo’s first clash with the DGCA. In 2023, the airline faced a ₹30 lakh fine after four tail-strike incidents involving Airbus A321 aircraft in six months. The regulator’s audit at the time found procedural gaps, leading to mandatory amendments in operational documents, training protocols, and flight data monitoring.
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