IndiGo orders full review of flight disruptions; chairman issues apology

IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta on Wednesday said the airline’s board will review all aspects of last week’s large-scale flight disruptions and has decided to bring in external technical experts to help identify the root causes.

In a video message, Mehta apologised to passengers affected by thousands of cancellations since December 3, saying an “unexpected chain of events” overwhelmed the airline’s systems. “We are sorry. We did not meet your expectations,” he said.

IndiGo said operations have stabilised, though around 220 flights were cancelled at major airports, including Delhi and Mumbai, on Wednesday.

Mehta denied allegations that the airline engineered the crisis or compromised safety. He said IndiGo complied with the new pilot fatigue rules and that disruptions were triggered by a mix of internal and external factors such as minor technical issues, winter schedule changes, bad weather, congestion, and updated crew rostering norms.

He noted that while other carriers faced similar external challenges, IndiGo’s systems “were pushed beyond their limits”.

The chairman said the board and its risk management committee have been monitoring the issue for months and that the crisis management team is meeting daily. “The company has erred. There is no denying this,” he said.

Meanwhile, aviation regulator DGCA has set up an oversight team and summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Thursday to submit a detailed report on the disruptions.
(With PTI inputs)