Despite temporary relief from new duty rules, IndiGo on Saturday cancelled over 800 flights at major airports across the country on Saturday amid ongoing pilot rostering issues. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has ordered a formal inquiry into the disruptions.
Confirming this, Naidu said a committee has been formed to investigate the issue and necessary action would be taken against those responsible. He said the ministry is closely monitoring all operational aspects. "We are deeply observing this, and observing the FDTL norms, scheduling network. We will thoroughly look into this and ensure that all airlines follow due diligence," he added.
The airline has apologised and is processing refunds after being directed by the government to complete the refund process by 8 pm on Sunday. The Civil Aviation Ministry warned that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action. It has also directed Indigo not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations.
“The number of cancellations on Saturday dropped below 850 flights, much lower compared to Friday. We are continuing to work towards reducing this number progressively over the next few days,” IndiGo said in a statement.
It said its teams are focused on stabilising schedules, reducing delays and supporting stranded passengers through this period. “We are also working closely with all airports and partners to ensure that timely updates are provided to customers at terminals, on our website and via direct notifications. The system of automatic refunds will remain active until operations stabilise completely,” the airline said.
To tide over the crisis, the Railways announced 84 special trains across all zones to help people facing travel disruptions. The trains, which are to make 104 trips, were arranged after an in-depth analysis of train traffic situations in major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna and Howrah.
Meanwhile, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking the Chief Justice of India’s intervention after passengers suffered losses due to IndiGo flight suspensions. The plea urged the court to take suo motu cognisance, direct the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to submit status reports and constitute a special bench for immediate hearing.
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