IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta on Thursday announced that the airline’s Board will hire external technical experts to work with the management and identify the root causes behind last week’s major flight disruptions. He said these experts will help prevent similar large-scale failures in the future.
Apology to Passengers
Mehta began his message with a clear apology to all affected passengers. The disruptions between December 3 and 5 stranded thousands of travellers. Many missed personal events, business meetings, medical appointments and international connections. Baggage delays made the situation even worse.
“We are truly, truly sorry,” Mehta said. He admitted that the airline failed to meet customer expectations.
Why the Board Stayed Silent Initially
According to Mehta, the Board avoided an early public statement because it wanted CEO Pieter Elbers and his team to focus completely on restoring operations. IndiGo has now returned to normal performance and operates more than 1,900 flights daily across 138 destinations.Criticism and Response
The airline faced both fair and unfair criticism during the crisis. Mehta agreed that the fair criticism highlighted IndiGo’s failure to support passengers. He promised a complete investigation into the issues and said the airline will share answers with customers, the government, shareholders and employees.
“As part of this process, the Board will involve independent technical experts to support the investigation and corrective steps,” he said.
Addressing Allegations
Mehta rejected several allegations, including claims that IndiGo created the crisis, influenced government rules or compromised safety. He stated that the airline followed all updated pilot fatigue rules and never tried to bypass them.
He explained that the disruptions resulted from a mix of internal issues and external factors. These included minor technical problems, winter schedule adjustments, bad weather, aviation congestion and new crew rostering rules.
Crisis Management and Refunds
The Board monitored the situation from the first day. It held an emergency meeting and formed a Crisis Management Group that meets every day. IndiGo has already processed refunds worth several hundred crores. The airline also arranged accommodation and travel support for passengers. Teams continue to deliver the remaining delayed baggage.
