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IndiGo’s operational meltdown entered its fifth consecutive day on Saturday, with hundreds of domestic flights cancelled across major airports.
IndiGo Chaos: Amid massive IndiGo flight cancellations triggered by operational disruptions, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to conduct a fortnightly review of the airline’s operations, focusing particularly on its hiring practices, sources told CNN-News18.
At a high-level meeting between the ministry and IndiGo, officials pulled up the carrier for what they described as serious managerial and communication failures. Officials termed the airline’s passenger-facing communication system as “pathetic", saying that it needs a complete, customer-friendly overhaul, sources said.
During the meeting, the ministry also directed IndiGo to deliver all pending baggage within 48 hours, charge zero rescheduling fees for affected passengers, and clear all pending refunds by 8 pm tomorrow.
In the meeting that lasted for over an hour, the government officials further criticised IndiGo for failing to prepare for the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, sources said. The ministry further said that the airline, India’s largest in terms of market share, had projected confidence about handling the new regulations but failed to hire adequate staff, creating avoidable operational strain.
As per sources, the Civil Aviation Ministry further warned IndiGo of the “toughest possible action" if the situation does not improve. As reported earlier, the government is preparing to impose a heavy, possibly exemplary penalty on IndiGo for the operational meltdown that has triggered widespread delays, cancellations, and passenger chaos across the country.
According to sources, the government is also mulling the removal of IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers over the crisis.
IndiGo Crisis
IndiGo’s operational meltdown entered its fifth consecutive day on Saturday, with hundreds of domestic flights cancelled across major airports, marking the worst phase yet of the ongoing crisis. The disruptions are primarily caused by a shortage of pilots that was not anticipated due to planning deficiencies.
Mumbai recorded the highest impact with 109 cancellations, while Delhi followed with 86 scrapped departures, heavily straining India’s two busiest airports.
Earlier on Friday, the crisis triggered a full-scale intervention by the Centre, which ordered a high-level probe, put Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms in abeyance, and directed the airline to initiate automatic refunds for all cancelled flights.
Operating 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo has seen its punctuality plummet with the operational disruptions that are expected to continue for many more days.
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