Flight network stabilisation expected by Dec 10, says IndiGo after disruption

New Delhi [India], December 7 (ANI): IndiGo on Sunday said it is on track to stabilise its network by December 10, reporting significant improvements in flight operations following days of large-scale disruptions, which led to flight delays and cancellations, leaving passengers facing significant inconvenience, with some stranded at the airport for hours.
In a statement, the airline spokesperson said that flight cancellations have reduced, on-time performance has risen sharply, and customer support processes are being strengthened to handle pending issues.
The airline also revised its stabilisation outlook, stating that it now has "growing confidence" that normal operations will be restored by December 10, earlier than the previously communicated timeline of December 10 to December 15.
According to the statement, IndiGo has been implementing "further significant and sustained improvements" across its network since Saturday and confirmed it is operating over 1,650 flights today, up from around 1,500 yesterday.
It further stated that their On-Time Performance (OTP) has also improved to 75 per cent, up from roughly 30 per cent the day before.
"Following the recent operational disruptions, IndiGo confirms that we are establishing further significant and sustained improvements across our network. The first step to this was taken yesterday; today next steps have been taken on this with lesser cancellations and a higher On Time Performance," the statement read.
The carrier added that cancellations were initiated earlier in the day, enabling quicker communication with passengers and refund and luggage-related processes are also "in full action" for both direct and indirect bookings.
IndiGo further urged passengers to check real-time flight status before heading to the airport and provided online links for status and refund updates.
"We deeply regret the immense inconvenience this has caused and extend our heartfelt apologies to all our customers," the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has formally issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers as well as its Accountable Manager, holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management".
In its notice, the regulatory body on Saturday demanded that the CEO and the Accountable Manager provide an explanation, following a week of widespread cancellations and delays that have left thousands of passengers stranded across India.
As per the notice, both individuals must respond within 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the carrier; failure to reply will allow the DGCA to decide the matter ex parte.
Since last week, the civil aviation industry in India has been hit by massive disruptions, with cancellations, severe delays, and the rescheduling of many flights by IndiGo, primarily due to a sudden shortage of pilots and crew following the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms issued by the DGCA last year. (ANI)