Mumbai, Dec 08: The Civil Aviation Ministry promised “very strict action” against IndiGo in the Rajya Sabha on Monday as its widespread operational crisis entered its seventh consecutive day. The airline is slowly regaining operational stability and operated about 1,800 flights with an on-time performance of 91%.
Disruptions Triggered After FDTL Norms Rolled Out
The disruptions, which began following the implementation of stricter pilot Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms, led to thousands of passengers being stranded nationwide over the past week. After rebooting its operations on Friday and bearing the brunt of over 1,000 cancellations, IndiGo has been limping towards normalcy by slowly improving its operations from Saturday.
Minister Says Airline Failed to Manage Rosters
The Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu addressed the situation in the Rajya Sabha, stating that the government would take very strict action to set an example for other airlines. He hinted that the onus lay on IndiGo to follow the FDTL as the DGCA had allowed variations in FDTL to the airlines after thorough consultation and safety-risk assessment. He also claimed that the airline did not flag any issue during a meeting on December 1, a month after the second phase of FDTL rules came into force.
Govt Initiates Inquiry; Safety Rules Non-Negotiable
“IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and the roster through its day-to-day operations. There has been no compromise on the implementation of FDTL. There were a lot of difficulties faced by the passengers and we are not taking this situation lightly. We are doing an inquiry and we will take very strict action, not only for this situation but also as an example for all the airlines,” the Union minister said.
CEO’s Reply to DGCA Extended Amid Show-Cause Notice
The airline's CEO Pieter Elbers and accountable manager were given extension to reply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) show-cause notices. The notices sought the executives’ reply by 6 p.m. on Monday to why action should not be taken against them, citing significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management.
Operations Improving, Still 400 Flights Cancelled
On Monday, the airline claimed that it was set to operate about 1,800 flights, from its total operations of about 2,200 flights, by the end of the day and had improved its on-time performance to 91%, from 75% on Sunday.
It completely restored its network coverage by connecting to 138 destinations. However, the airline's cancellations still lingered at around 400 flights across the country's major airports. Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recorded the cancellation of 50 arrivals and 48 departures.
Rs 827 Crore Refunded, 4,500 Bags Returned
IndiGo claimed that it had facilitated support for stranded customers, including refunding Rs 827 crore for cancellations between December 1–7 and delivering 4,500 pieces of delayed baggage out of a total of 9,000, with a target to deliver the rest within 36 hours.
It also added that it arranged about 9,500 hotel rooms and provided cabs and buses to close to 10,000 affected passengers. It also claimed that all the cancellations were executed a day in advance to save customers from being stranded at the airport.
IndiGo Says Compliant With FDTL Norms, Apologises
“We would like to reiterate that all our operations are fully compliant with the relevant FDTL norms and safety regulations, as they have been throughout the last two decades. We continue to work in full cooperation with the authorities to restore normalcy in operations. Once again, we would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the flight disruptions in the past few days,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.
IndiGo seeks more time from DGCA, regulator says will take action in due course of time
According to the DGCA, IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers and chief operating officer submitted their response to the regulator's show-cause notices. The airline said that it is “profusely apologetic,” attributing the disruption to the "compounding effect of multiple factors," which operated in an "unfortunate and unforeseeable confluence."
IndiGo Cites Complex Causes Behind Crisis
The airline stated that it was "realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)" due to the complexity and vast scale of operations and requested more time to conduct a comprehensive root cause analysis, citing that the DGCA's manual allows a fifteen-day response timeline for SCNs.
Multiple Triggers, Says Airline; DGCA Reviewing Reply
The airline accepted that the disruption resulted from the implementation of the updated crew rostering rules under FDTL phase-2, along with a combination of minor technical glitches, schedule changes linked to the start of the winter season, adverse weather conditions, and increased congestion in the aviation system.
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It said that the disruptions began when the compounding factors resulted in a lower on-time network performance, which affected crew availability.
DGCA to Take Enforcement Action Soon
DGCA stated that it is examining the response and will take enforcement action in due course.
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