Centre cuts IndiGo flight schedule by 10% to help stabilise operations

Civil Aviation ministry has directed IndiGo to reduce its flight schedule by 10 per cent to curb cancellations and restore stability as the airline faces probes, refunds pressure and compliance orders

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday said IndiGo has been directed to cut its flight schedule by 10 per cent to help stabilise operations at the crisis-hit airline.

 

"The ministry considers it necessary to curtail the overall IndiGo routes, which will help in stabilising the airline’s operations and lead to reduced cancellations. A curtailment of 10 per cent has been ordered. While abiding by it, IndiGo will continue to cover all its destinations as before," the minister said. 

Earlier in the day, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) also issued an order directing IndiGo to reduce its flight schedule by 5 per cent.

 

Naidu also said that IndiGo chief executive officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers was again summoned by the civil aviation ministry on Tuesday and he confirmed that 100 per cent of the refunds for flights affected till December 6 have been completed. "A strict instruction to expedite the completion of the remaining refunds and baggage handover was given," Naidu added.

 

He further stated that the airline has been instructed to comply with all the directives of the ministry, including fare capping and passenger convenience measures, without any exception.     

Operations stable: IndiGo CEO

The ministry’s directive comes hours after Elbers, in a video message, said the airline’s operations have stabilised, with IndiGo operating more than 1,800 flights on Tuesday.

 

"On December 5, we could only fly 700 flights. Thereafter, gradually yet steadily improving to 1,500 on December 6, 1,650 on December 7, 1,800 on Monday and Tuesday, more than 1,800," he said. Prior to the crisis, IndiGo operated about 2,300 flights daily.

 

The crisis began last week after hundreds of IndiGo flights started being abruptly cancelled on a daily basis, causing inconvenience to lakhs of passengers. The turmoil stemmed from the airline being ill-prepared, with an inadequate number of pilots on its roster to fully comply with the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms that came into effect on November 1 to ensure more humane working hours for flight crews.

 

Addressing the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Naidu also said that a detailed investigation has been launched into the widespread disruption caused by the airline.

 

"The DGCA has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo senior leadership and commenced a detailed enforcement investigation. Depending on the outcome, strict and appropriate action as empowered under the Aircraft Rules and Act will be taken. No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardship to passengers through planning failures, non-compliance or non-adherence to statutory provisions," Naidu said.