It began as a week of flight cancellations. It has now turned into a war of narratives. An unverified 'open letter' allegedly written by an IndiGo employee is ripping through social media, accusing the airline’s top leadership, including CEO Pieter Elbers, of engineering the carrier’s operational collapse through years of arrogance, fatigue-driven rostering and a culture of intimidation.
The letter has surfaced just as India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, issued a show-cause notice to Elbers over what it called 'significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management' at IndiGo.
What the viral letter alleges
Addressed to 'fellow citizens' and IndiGo’s management, the anonymous author claims to be a long-serving insider who “lived every sleepless night, every squeezed pay cheque and every impossible roster.”
The letter insists the airline’s current crisis was 'years in the making' and lays the blame squarely on senior leadership. It accuses management of:
- Ignoring repeated safety warnings from pilots
- Running the airline into a staffing crisis through overwork
- Promoting 'unqualified executives' into senior roles
- Creating a work culture driven by fear rather than accountability
Pilots who flagged fatigue and safety risks, the letter alleges, were 'called to head office, intimidated, shouted at and humiliated.' It claims night duties were doubled and leaves curtailed without any compensation for the 'physical and mental toll.'
The author also takes aim at the airline’s treatment of customers, alleging a deliberate shift in attitude: “If you call them passengers, they’ll think they own the airline.”
Eight senior executives named
The letter explicitly names eight top officials as responsible for the meltdown. At the top is CEO Pieter Elbers, who is criticised for being on holiday in the Netherlands when the crisis unfolded.
Other executives named include senior leaders from operations and control functions. According to IndiGo’s public disclosures, Isidore Porqueras heads operations, Ashim Mitra leads flight operations, and Jason Herter oversees the operations control centre.
None of the individuals named in the letter have responded publicly to the allegations so far.
Why now: the regulatory trigger
The letter has gone viral against the backdrop of one of the biggest operational disruptions in IndiGo’s history. Over the past week, the airline has cancelled hundreds of flights and delayed many more across major airports.
The trigger was the enforcement of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms by the DGCA, which tightened rules on consecutive night operations. The sudden reduction in available crew exposed a deep pilot and staffing shortage.
On Saturday, the regulator formally issued a show-cause notice to Elbers, demanding an explanation within 24 hours and warning of enforcement action if the airline fails to respond.
How IndiGo’s board has responded
On Sunday, IndiGo announced that its board had activated a high-level Crisis Management Group (CMG) following an emergency meeting on the very first day of the disruption.
- The CMG comprises: Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta
- Directors Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker and Amitabh Kant
- CEO Pieter Elbers
The board said the group is reviewing stabilisation efforts on a real-time basis, with other directors also participating in crisis calls.
What the letter demands from the government
The anonymous author’s appeal is not limited to IndiGo’s management. The letter urges the central government to intervene by:
- Setting minimum wages for ground staff
- Mandating minimum manpower per aircraft
- Revisiting fatigue rules with formal employee representation
The underlying argument: that unchecked growth and cost discipline hollowed out safety buffers across the airline.
However, the letter remains unverified. Its author has not disclosed identity, designation, or documentary evidence to support the claims. IndiGo has not officially commented on the contents of the letter.
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