Indigo CEO: IndiGo passengers faced severe disruptions for the third consecutive day on Thursday, as the airline cancelled over 300 domestic and international flights across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other major airports. The disruptions affected hundreds of travelers and raised concerns about the airline’s operational management.
Elbers Addresses Staff in Internal Email
In an internal communication to employees, Indigo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged the difficulties faced by passengers and staff. “These past few days have been difficult for many of our IndiGo customers and colleagues… We could not live up to that promise these past days and we have publicly apologized for that,” he wrote.
Elbers explained that a combination of operational challenges had contributed to the disruptions. Minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of the newly released FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms compounded to create a cascading impact on the airline’s operations.
Focus on Restoring Operations and Punctuality
The IndiGo CEO emphasized that the immediate priority is to stabilise operations and bring punctuality back on track. “Our immediate goal is to normalise ops, bring punctuality back on track in coming days, which is not an easy task… time for all of us to come together and prove our mettle once again,” he said.
Elbers also highlighted the airline’s recent operational achievements to instill confidence in staff. “Just a few days ago, we performed remarkably well as a united team to achieve an unimaginable feat of upgrading 200 aircraft (A320s) in less than 24 hours. I am confident we all can deal with this challenge too. Together, as one team, we will overcome this challenge and emerge even stronger.”
The airline has not yet provided a timeline for when full operations are expected to stabilise, though Elbers’ message suggests a concentrated effort in the coming days to resolve the disruptions and restore normal service.
