IndiGo apologises after over 150 flights cancelled, shares update on resolution
Thousands of passengers expressed frustration over the delays and chaos at airports due to technical glitch in check-in systems and other operational troubles.
After at least 150 flights were cancelled and several others were delayed at major airports across the country, IndiGo issued a 'sincere apology' on Wednesday evening and said that it has initiated 'calibrated adjustments' to adjust the airline's schedules.
Thousands of passengers expressed frustration over the delays, cancellations and chaos at airports due to the technical glitch in check-in systems and other operational troubles, with many flights getting cancelled due to the disruption.
An IndiGo spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of the airline regarding the disruptions until 6:10 pm and said, "We acknowledge that IndiGo’s operations have been significantly disrupted across the network for the past two days, and we sincerely apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused."
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The air carrier said the disruption was caused by a range of "unforeseen operational challenges", including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, and increased congestion in the aviation system.
It further stated that the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) (FDTL) had a negative compounding impact on the airline's operations in a way that was not feasible to anticipate.
FDTL limits the maximum time pilots and flight crews can work to prevent fatigue and ensure safety.
However, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) later clarified that the spate of IndiGo flight cancellations "cannot be attributed to the Delhi High Court-mandated" FDTL regulations for pilots.
"All other airlines have provisioned pilots adequately and remain largely unaffected due to timely planning and preparation," it added.
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IndiGo further said that it has "initiated calibrated adjustments to our schedules" to contain the disruption and restore stability. "These measures will remain in place for the next 48 hours and will allow us to normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality across the network," it added.
The air carrier said consistent efforts were underway to ensure the stabilisation of operations as quickly as possible. "Furthermore, the affected customers are being offered alternate travel arrangements to reach the destinations or refunds, as applicable," IndiGo said.
It asked passengers to check the latest flight status at https://www.goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html before heading to the airport.
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"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused and remain fully committed to minimising disruption and supporting our customers through this period," the IndiGo spokesperson stated.
Around 67 flights, both domestic and international, were cancelled from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), 14 from Hyderabad on Tuesday and 19 on Wednesday, 42 from Bengaluru, and 32 from Mumbai.
FIP also said that the current disruption was the direct consequence of IndiGo's "prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in flight operations".
Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet were also among those with delayed flights after airlines using the Amadeus software faced an outage in check-in systems globally for around an hour on Tuesday night.
