The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday issued an order cutting IndiGo’s flight operations by 10 per cent after the crisis-hit airline cancelled hundreds of flights due to an acute pilot shortage under the new flight duty limitation rules.
The directive came hours after the aviation regulator DGCA instructed the airline to trim its operations by 5 per cent earlier in the day.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said: “The Ministry considers it necessary to curtail IndiGo’s overall routes, which will help stabilise the airline’s operations and reduce cancellations. A curtailment of 10 per cent has been ordered.”
He added that despite the reduction, IndiGo will continue to operate to all its existing destinations. The airline has also been instructed to comply with all Ministry directives, including fare capping and passenger convenience measures, without exception.
The minister noted that many passengers faced severe inconvenience during the past week due to IndiGo’s internal mismanagement of crew rosters, flight schedules and inadequate communication. While inquiries and necessary actions are underway, another meeting was held with IndiGo’s top management to review stabilisation measures.
He said that IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was again summoned to the Ministry on Tuesday to provide an update. Elbers confirmed that 100 per cent of refunds for flights affected till December 6 have been processed. The Ministry also issued strict instructions to expedite the remaining refunds and ensure timely baggage return.
The DGCA had approved 15,014 IndiGo departures per week for the winter schedule, when air travel demand typically peaks. However, the airline cancelled 951 flights in November out of the 64,346 flights approved for the month, causing widespread inconvenience.
—IANS
