‘Worst Is Behind Us, Focus On Rebuilding’: Watch IndiGo CEO Assuring Staff After Flight Chaos
‘Worst Is Behind Us, Focus On Rebuilding’: Watch IndiGo CEO Assuring Staff After Flight Chaos
Airline says operations are stabilising as it enters bad weather and irregular operations season
IndiGo Airlines Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers has told employees that the airline has moved past its most difficult phase following weeks of widespread flight cancellations and operational disruptions across the country. In a video message to staff, Elbers said the focus is now on stabilising operations and rebuilding the airline ahead of the challenging bad weather and IROPS (Irregular Operations) season.
Calling the past two weeks “very challenging”, Elbers said IndiGo restored around 2,200 flights on Thursday and that operations have been gradually stabilising since December 9. Thanking employees for their efforts during the crisis, he urged teams across departments to now concentrate on resilience, identifying root causes, and rebuilding systems for the future.
“What we witnessed seems a compounding effect of several factors, and everyone wants answers,” Elbers said in his message. He confirmed that the airline’s Board has appointed an external aviation expert to conduct a full-scale Root Cause Analysis to understand what led to the large-scale disruptions. According to him, the findings of this review, along with direct feedback from staff, will guide corrective measures.
Elbers also noted that similar operational disruptions have been seen at large airlines in other parts of the world, underlining that the issue was not isolated to IndiGo alone. Once the root cause analysis is complete, the leadership team, including Elbers himself, will meet employees to better understand the challenges faced on the ground during the crisis.
“These inputs will help us rebuild ourselves in a better way,” he said, adding that the disruptions witnessed between December 3 and December 5 should not define what the airline has collectively built over the last 19 years.
The remarks come after one of IndiGo’s most severe operational crises in recent years. The airline had cancelled nearly 4,500 flights earlier this month, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and sparking widespread criticism. The disruptions peaked on December 5 before gradually easing in the following days.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said on December 13 that nearly 90 per cent of IndiGo’s operations had returned to normal after days of chaos. The airline had grounded a large number of flights after being unprepared for stricter safety norms related to pilot duty and rest requirements that came into force in November.
Aviation regulators responded by cutting 10 per cent of IndiGo’s domestic winter schedule and reassigning some of its slots. The airline faced criticism for inadequate pilot roster planning, which resulted in aircraft being grounded and widespread disruption to travel plans.
Following the crisis, IndiGo also lowered its capacity and passenger unit revenue outlook for the third quarter after scaling back its winter schedule. With operations now stabilising, the airline’s leadership has signalled that the immediate priority is restoring reliability and rebuilding confidence among staff and passengers alike.
