Govt Orders 10% Curtailment Of IndiGo's Operations
The curbs will lead to IndiGo reducing nearly 215 flights per day. The airline, as part of its winter schedule, was earlier allowed to fly 2,145 flights per day.
IndiGo, India's largest carrier in terms of market share, has been ordered to curtail 10% of its operations, according to an update shared by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday.
"The Ministry considers it necessary to curtail the overall Indigo routes, which will help in stabilising the airline’s operations and lead to reduced cancellations," he posted on X.
"A curtailment of 10% has been ordered. While abiding with it, Indigo will continue to cover all its destinations as before," Naidu added.
The curbs will lead to IndiGo reducing nearly 215 flights per day. The airline, as part of its winter schedule, was earlier allowed to fly 2,145 flights per day by the aviation sector regulator.
The curtailment order was issued shortly after IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers was summoned by the aviation ministry.
Elbers, while appearing before the ministry officials, confirmed that "100% of the refunds for flights" affected till Dec. 6 have been completed, Naidu said. A strict instruction to expedite the completion of the remaining refunds and baggage handover was given, he added.
Furthermore, IndiGo has been instructed to comply with all the directives of the aviation ministry, including "fare capping and passenger convenience measures without any exception", the minister further posted.
The action comes in the aftermath of India witnessing one of the most chaotic weeks in its aviation history, with over 4,500 IndiGo flights being cancelled over a span of seven days.
The disruption compelled the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to grant a one-time relief from the recently enacted Flight Duty Time Limit (FTDL) norms to IndiGo. The relaxation has been provided till Feb. 10, by when the carrier has been asked to increased its strength of pilots.
IndiGo, notably, plans to add 158 pilots by Feb. 10, and another 742 pilots by December next year.
Elbers, in a video posted on Tuesday, said the airline has managed to stabilise its operations before the Dec. 10-15 deadline it set last week. The airline is "back on its feet", and is now focussing upon what led to the crisis, he said.
"I can confirm now that today, as of Dec. 9, our operations are fully stabilised, which means flights reflecting on our website are scheduled to operate with an adjusted network," he said.
"On December 5, we could only fly 700 flights. Thereafter, gradually yet steadily improving to 1,500 on December 6, 1,650 on December 7, 1,800 on Monday and Tuesday, more than 1,800," the CEO added.
Earlier on Tuesday, Naidu said in the Parliament that IndiGo will be held strictly responsible for the chaos that erupted over its internal crew-rostering failures.
Naidu said IndiGo had earlier assured the DGCA that it would comply with the revised FTDL norms. Despite their assurance, prima-facie it was observed that internal rostering disruptions led to large-scale cancellations last week, he added.
"The government is determined to build a more robust and competitive aviation ecosystem. Through our policies, we are encouraging more new airlines to start and operate in India, ensuring fair access to airport capacity and eliminating any possibility of a duopoly controlling connectivity and pricing in our skies," he said in the Lok Sabha.
"More airlines mean more choice, more affordability and more resilience for passengers," the minister added.
