India, Jan. 22 -- The penal action against IndiGo for precipitating the aviation crisis last year in December, which left thousands of fliers stranded by multiple flight cancellations and extended delays, turned out to be a mere slap on the wrist. After a detailed investigation into the episode - caused by IndiGo's failure to be ready in time for the new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) regime - the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) last week announced a penalty of just Rs.22 crore and merely issued warnings to a few key airline personnel.

The DGCA report should stoke concern in the airline's boardroom and top management - it rules out any kind of systemic, procedural, or process failure or any acute shortage of personnel a...