IndiGo denies ‘planned crisis’ claims, says winter operations and tech glitches caused chaos

IndiGo rejects allegations it created the crisis, blaming bad weather and system glitches

IndiGo Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director Vikram Singh Mehta on Wednesday issued an unconditional apology to passengers for the airline’s massive operational meltdown, admitting that the carrier had “let customers down” and assuring that corrective steps, including an external technical review, would be taken to ensure such a crisis “never occurs again.”

In his first public remarks since the disruptions last week, IndiGo chair Vikram Singh Mehta added that the cancellations were a "blemish" on the airline's clean record.

Mehta said the chain of events that began on December 3 led to thousands of passengers being stranded, many missing “important family events, business commitments, medical appointments, and international connections.” He added, “I want to say, very simply and very clearly. We are sorry.”

Mehta said he chose not to issue a public statement earlier because the Board felt its priority was to support CEO Pieter Elbers and the operations team in restoring normalcy. IndiGo has now stabilised its network, operating over 1,900 flights, connecting all 138 destinations, with on-time performance “back to normal high levels,” he said.

The Chairman said the airline owes answers to customers, shareholders and the government. The Board, he said, has decided to rope in an external technical expert to determine the root causes of the breakdown.

“We assure you that we will examine every aspect of what went wrong and we will learn from it… so that this level of disruption never occurs again,” Mehta said.

Responding to speculation, Mehta rejected claims that IndiGo engineered the crisis or attempted to influence aviation rules. He also denied any compromise on safety or lack of Board oversight.

“These claims are incorrect,” he said.

He emphasised that IndiGo complied with updated pilot fatigue rules (FDTL) and operated under them in both July and November. “We did not attempt to bypass them,” he added.

Mehta said the disruptions were not deliberate but the result of a combination of internal and external factors, including minor technical glitches, scheduled changes linked to winter operations, adverse weather, congestion, and the implementation of new crew rostering rules.

“This is not an excuse. This is simply the truth,” he said.

He added that these factors “pushed our systems beyond their limits.”

Countering claims of poor oversight, Mehta said the IndiGo Board had been engaged for months on the FDTL transition and held an “emergency meeting” after the first day of disruptions, forming a crisis management group that met daily.

Mehta said operations recovered faster than expected.

Refunds worth “several hundred crores” have been processed

Hotel rooms and travel assistance were provided to stranded passengers

Remaining delayed baggage is being delivered

He also thanked pilots, cabin crew, engineers and frontline staff for their “resilience” during an “intense period.”

Calling the episode “a blemish on the airline’s pristine record,” Mehta said rebuilding trust will require actions, not words. “As Chairman of the Board, the Company apologises without conditions or excuses, reassures you of its commitment to safety and reliability, and promises to learn from this crisis and emerge stronger,” he said.

IndiGo, he added, has “proudly served the country for 19 years” and will continue to do so.