IndiGo meltdown: Winter flights curtailed, 4,500+ flights cancelled, DGCA ire - What's happened since 1 December?

IndiGo flight cancellations: Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the Centre will reduce IndiGo's winter flight schedule after the airline cancelled thousands of flights, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded at airports across India over the past eight days.

The country's largest airline's massive operational meltdown has triggered an inquiry from the government, while the aviation watchdog, DGCA, has promised action against IndiGo.

Here are 10 things to know about the government's response to the IndiGo flight cancellations.

1. Winter schedule curtailing

The government will curtail IndiGo's winter flight schedule and allocate them to other operators, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said in an interview with DD News.

“We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them,” he said.

A livid government is planning to hand over about 200 daily IndiGo flights to other operators. Air India's request to increase daily flights by 60-70 is likely to be approved by DGCA.

2. Naidu holds a review meeting with senior government officials

In a statement on X on Friday, Naidu said that a high-level review meeting, comprising all senior officials, was conducted to gain a thorough understanding of the IndiGo flight cancellation situation.

3. Government officials to visit airports today

“All senior officials of the Ministry have been instructed to visit airports to verify airline operations and passenger-oriented services. Any shortcomings identified, including feedback received through interactions with passengers, are to be addressed and rectified immediately,” Naidu said after the meeting on late Monday night.

According to the Ministry, officers at the level of Deputy Secretary, Director and Joint Secretary have been ordered to physically visit key airports

4. DGCA promises strict action against IndiGo

The aviation watchdog, DGCA, on Monday promised to take enforcement action against IndiGo, shortly after receiving the airline's response to the show-cause notice issued by it earlier. The DGCA said that it is in the process of examining the response and will take enforcement action, as deemed appropriate, in due course.

5. Inquiry against IndiGo coming

Speaking to DD News, Ram Mohan Naidu said that the Civil Aviation Ministry had already ordered an inquiry into the IndiGo flight cancellation fiasco. “A detailed inquiry is going to take place in the next 15 days or so, and once the outcome of the inquiry is there with us, then we will go into the reasons for that, so that these kinds of occurrences do not happen in the future,” he said.

6. Top IndiGo executives summoned

According to a report by India Today, top IndiGo executives, including CEO Pieter Elbers, have been summoned DGCA’s High-Level Committee amid the IndiGo flight cancellations. The executives will meet officials of the four-member panel on Wednesday.

7. Strict Civil Aviation Requirements in place

Naidu noted that for affected passengers, strict Civil Aviation Requirements are in place. “Airline operators have to follow these requirements. Regarding the software issue, an inquiry has been made. Continuous technology upgradation happens in this sector. Our vision from the government is to have top global standards for the aviation sector in the country,” he said.

8. 3,000 bags to be delivered to passengers today

Naidu said that 6,000 of the 9,000 passenger bags have already been delivered, and the remaining ones are scheduled to be delivered by either Monday night or Tuesday morning. The minister also said that refunds worth ₹745 crore have been given for 7,30,655 cancelled PNRs from 1 December to 8 (as of 5 PM).

9. IndiGo shares fall

IndiGo shares continued to be in red after the flight cancellation fiasco, opening at ₹4,881 apiece on the BSE on Tuesday. On Monday, IndiGo shares fell as much as 8.7%.

10. Moody's downgrades IndiGo

The disruptions at InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) are “credit negative”, said global credit rating agency, Moody's. “We have downgraded IndiGo's issuer category score for human capital to 4 from 3, reflecting the adverse impact of slower hiring on the airline's operations. Although IndiGo does not have employee unions, its pilots, through broader pilot associations in India, possess significant collective bargaining power,” it said.