“IndiGo Is Back on Its Feet,” says CEO Amid Flight Chaos
Airline restores full operations; government warns of strict action after nationwide disruptions
- IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers says operations stabilised after major nationwide cancellations.
- Airline now flying 1,800+ daily flights and fully serving all 138 destinations.
- IndiGo issues refunds “no questions asked” and works to reunite passengers with luggage.
- Centre launches probe; Aviation Minister warns that safety norms and compliance are non-negotiable.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 9th Dec: IndiGo, which triggered nationwide chaos after mass flight cancellations last week, is “back on its feet,” Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said today in a statement aimed at reassuring customers and regulators.
“We have let you down when a major operational disruption happened and we are sorry for that,” he said, adding that passengers have “accepted our apology” and resumed booking with the airline.
Elbers said IndiGo had flown just 700 flights on December 5, but gradually rebuilt operations — reaching 1,500 flights on December 6, 1,650 on December 7, 1,800 on December 8, and “more than 1,800” today. The airline has also resumed services to all 138 destinations in its network, with on-time performance normalised.
Refunds, Luggage Restoration and Internal Review
Elbers said IndiGo has processed refunds for cancelled flights with “no questions asked” and is working to return baggage to all stranded passengers. The airline has now begun examining the internal failures that led to the crisis, promising to draw “lessons learned” and emerge stronger.
“While we cannot undo the cancellations, I want to reassure that our entire team has been working very hard,” he added.
Government Crackdown and DGCA Action
The restoration of IndiGo’s network comes amid mounting scrutiny from the Centre.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, addressing Parliament, said no airline — “however large” — would be permitted to cause hardship to passengers.
He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued showcause notices to IndiGo’s top management and launched an investigation. “Depending on the outcome, strict and appropriate action under the aircraft rules and Act will be taken,” he noted.
The crisis stemmed from IndiGo’s struggle to transition to the government’s revised flight duty time limitation (FDTL) norms, designed to combat pilot fatigue and enhance passenger safety.
Although IndiGo had assured compliance with the phase-wise implementation — July 1 for phase one and November 1 for phase two — the minister said “prima facie” the airline’s internal rostering issues triggered “large-scale cancellations and inconvenience to thousands of passengers.”
As the inquiry proceeds, the government has maintained that aviation safety norms are non-negotiable, signalling further action if lapses are confirmed.
