Govt to curb IndiGo's winter schedule, reassign slots: Aviation Minister

The Civil Aviation Minister made these remarks hours after he warned of strict action against IndiGo following days of chaos led by the massive number of flight cancellations

Amid chaos at airports due to flight cancellations by low-cost carrier IndiGo, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said the government will curtail the airline's winter flight schedule and its slots will be assigned to other carriers.

 

Naidu made these remarks in an interview with Doordarshan on Monday, hours after he warned of strict action against IndiGo following days of chaos led by the massive number of flight cancellations. "We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them," he said.

 

The minister added that IndiGo has processed refunds worth ₹745 crore for 7,30,655 cancelled PNRs between December 1 and December 8 (as of 5 pm). He also said 6,000 of the 9,000 passenger bags had already been delivered, and that the remaining items were expected to be handed over by Monday night or Tuesday morning.

 

Addressing the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day, Naidu said the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the last week was a result of an "internal crisis" at the airlines, after the new passenger safety norms came into effect.

 

"We care for pilots, crew and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action," he said.

 

The government also initiated an inquiry into the matter, Naidu told the Upper House. He added that the government wants more players in the aviation sector and that India has the potential to support five major airlines.

 

What caused IndiGo flight cancellations?

 

Aviation safety regulator DGCA said it received IndiGo's response to the show-cause notice issued over the cancellation of flights, adding that it will take appropriate action.

 

According to a DGCA statement, IndiGo was "profusely apologetic" and said the disruption was attributed to a mix of factors, including minor technical issues, schedule adjustments with the start of the winter season, bad weather, heavier congestion across the aviation network, and the rollout of updated crew rostering norms under Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) Phase II. The statement said these elements overlapped to varying degrees.

 

Private operators likely to seek compensation from IndiGo

 

Business Standard reported that private airport operators, who are assessing the revenue hit from IndiGo’s cancellation of nearly 4,500 flights last week, are holding internal discussions on whether to seek compensation from the airline.

 

“Yes, senior management is discussing whether we should pursue compensation for the loss of business. We have a symbiotic relationship, and this is a sensitive issue. Let the crisis pass and flight operations stabilise, and then we will take a final call. We will have a complete picture once all flights are back, which could take a few days,” said a senior executive at a large private airport operator, who asked not to be identified.