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On IndiGo chaos, US-based expert John Illson to carry out root-cause analysis: Who is he?
IndiGo emphasised that Captain Illson has an "illustrious track record in global air transport"
The American aviation expert John Illson has been picked by IndiGo to lead a team that will analyse the airline's massive cancellation issue since the start of December, after it faced a rostering mess in light of new pilot-duty hour rules.
IndiGo, which controls a vast majority of India's aviation routes, is facing multi-agency scrutiny and widespread outrage over the mess, following which the Indian government rolled back the new rules for now.
US-based Captain John Illson will carry out an independent root-cause analysis, said the airline. He will study the operational disruption and identify opportunities for improvement, it added. This decision followed the recommendation of the Crisis Management Group (CMG) set up by IndiGo's parent company.
Know John Illson, a veteran of aviation industry
John Illson, who currently runs an aviation analysis consultancy, is a former airline captain and has more than four decades of experience in the sector, across major global carriers and regulatory bodies.
He describes himself on LinkedIn as: “Aviation safety consultant leveraging extensive experience in commercial air transport operations, aviation safety oversight, development of international aviation standards, and the implementation of innovative Advanced Air Mobility technologies.” His recent experiences include as a senior advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US, his profile says.
He has also held a significant position with the United Nations aviation body ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), where he was chief of the Operational Safety Air Navigation Bureau.
Illson, who is in his 60s, has master's degrees in public policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh, besides his bachelor's in public administration from Georgetown University.
What IndiGo said on John Illson
IndiGo emphasised that Captain Illson has an "illustrious track record in global air transport".
The airline’s parent company, InterGlobe Aviation, had earlier stated its decision to involve external technical experts to work with the management to help determine the root causes that led to the operational disruptions.
Captain Illson’s appointment comes as IndiGo management, including CEO Pieter Elbers, face questioning before a four-member panel established by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The DGCA panel is tasked with assessing issues like manpower planning, fluctuating rostering systems, and the airline’s preparedness to implement new rest and duty period norms for pilots.
While announcing that the airline’s board will engage an independent expert for root cause analysis, company board chairman Vikram Singh Singh Mehta had denied that the crisis was “engineered” to influence the government over the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. The rules mandated a better leave system and fewer duty hours for the pilots and crew for safety. These rules had kicked in, after much delay, on November 1, and were eventually shelved after the crisis that has subsided to a great degree after utter mess in the first week of December.
