IndiGo CEO says ‘worst is behind’ after mass flight cancellations

IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers on Thursday (December 18) said that the "worst is behind", adding that the airline is now focused on strengthening resilience, conducting a detailed root-cause analysis, and rebuilding operations after widespread flight cancellations that disrupted travel for lakhs of passengers earlier this month.

"Dear IndiGo colleagues, through the storm, we are finding our wings again. The worst is behind us. These last two weeks have been very challenging for all of us," he said as quoted by ANI.

‘Resilience, root cause analysis and rebuilding’

In a video message to employees, Elbers said IndiGo has stabilised its operations and is shifting its attention to long-term recovery measures. He added that the airline’s board has appointed an external aviation expert to conduct a comprehensive root-cause analysis of the disruptions.

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"On December 9, I shared the stabilisation of IndiGo's operation. After that, we restored our network to 2,200 flights today (Thursday). Now we focus on three things: resilience, root cause analysis and rebuilding (the airline)," Elbers said.

External expert appointed

He attributed the large-scale operational disruptions to what appeared to be a “compounding effect of several factors." He confirmed that “an external aviation expert has been appointed by the Board to conduct a comprehensive root cause analysis.” Elbers said that he and the airline’s leadership team will travel across the network to meet employees and understand the challenges they faced during the disruption.

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Ground staff bore the brunt of passengers' anger during the more than week-long operational crisis at the private carrier. The airline faced severe criticism for failing to provide basic amenities and clear communication while abruptly cancelling hundreds of flights daily.

DGCA probe underway

IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights between December 1 and December 9 due to inadequate planning and crew shortages while implementing new regulations on pilots’ duty periods and rest requirements, which came into effect on November 1.

A panel set up by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is already probing the operational disruptions at IndiGo. In addition, the government has cut the airline’s winter schedule by 10 per cent following the large-scale cancellations earlier this month.

(With agency inputs)