IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been called again by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the carrier continues to struggle with major disruptions across the domestic aviation network, the airline said on Thursday. Elbers had previously met officials earlier this week to explain what is being described as one of the most significant operational breakdowns in Indian civil aviation history.
A four-member DGCA team is expected to question him during the latest round of discussions, according to sources.
To determine the underlying causes of the disruptions, the DGCA has formed an eight-member special team to monitor IndiGo’s functioning. Two officials from this team will be stationed at the airline’s corporate headquarters to assess daily procedures and identify gaps affecting flight operations.
The crisis, which has led to thousands of cancellations and extensive delays, has severely affected major airports, causing long queues and widespread passenger inconvenience.
All Networks Have Been Fully Reconnected, Operations Stable
IndiGo, meanwhile, indicated that operations are gradually improving and said it aims to operate more than 1,950 flights on Thursday. A spokesperson added that all destinations in the airline’s network have been fully reconnected since December 8 and that operations have stabilised since December 9.
“IndiGo continues to strengthen its operations, improving its services day by day to now operating 1,900+ flights that seamlessly connect all 138 destinations across our network,” the spokesperson said.
IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said the airline’s Board has decided to bring in external technical experts to work with the management and determine the root causes of the massive disruptions witnessed last week.
In a detailed statement, Mehta said the review is aimed at ensuring such large-scale failures do not recur. He also issued an apology to affected passengers, acknowledging the severe impact of the disruptions from December 3 to 5.
He said thousands were stranded, with many missing personal events, business commitments, medical visits and onward international connections. Baggage delays compounded the challenges.
“We are truly, truly sorry,” Mehta said, adding that the airline had fallen short of customer expectations.
He also noted that the Board initially refrained from issuing a public statement so the management team, led by CEO Elbers, could concentrate on restoring operations.
“IndiGo is now operating more than 1,900 flights a day, connecting all 138 destinations, with on-time performance back to normal levels,” he stated.
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