IndiGo parent InterGlobe Aviation set up a Crisis Management Group to monitor the ongoing disruption in flight schedule, airline spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday.
"The Board of Directors of Interglobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) met on the first day the problem of cancellations and delayed flights arose," the statement read.
It added, “The members received a detailed briefing from the Management on the nature and extent of the crisis.”
As per the statement, this meeting was followed up with a session confined to only Board members at which, "it was decided to set up a Crisis Management Group (CMG) comprising amongst others the Chairman, Vikram Singh Mehta; Board Directors, Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker and Amitabh Kant, and the CEO Pieter Elbers."
"This Group has been meeting regularly to monitor the situation and is being constantly updated by the Management of the measures being undertaken to restore normal operations," the spokesperson said.
Besides, there have been multiple telephonic discussions, including with Directors who are not members of the CMG.
"The objective of these meetings and exchanges is to address, as quickly as practically possible, the hardships suffered by our customers and other stakeholders while also restoring operational integrity across the airline's network expeditiously," the spokesperson said.
The statement stated that the Board of Directors “is doing everything possible to take care of the challenges faced by our customers and to ensure refunds on cancellation and offer waivers on cancellation/rescheduling during the period of crisis.”
The statement came as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has formally issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers — holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to "significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management."
Meanwhile, the carrier has issued an apology following the disruption, noting that the carrier had "operated little above 700 flights yesterday connecting 113 destinations".
IndiGo crisis
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.
The chaos ensued 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.
This has led to thousands of passengers facing significant inconvenience, long queues, and inadequate facilities, with some stranded at the airport for hours. Passengers have also urged the airline to provide timely updates and support to minimise inconvenience.
