Last week, thousands of passengers were affected after IndiGo cancelled many of its flights. Luggage piled up at airports, and arguments broke out between passengers and airport officials.
Many travellers, including children, women, and elderly passengers, struggled without proper assistance.
Several people missed important family functions, business meetings, medical appointments, and international connections due to the disruption.
Even today, 11 December, IndiGo has not been able to operate all its flights. Speaking about the crisis, IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta said, “We are sorry.” He added, “I know an apology cannot make up for the missed events, long waits, or the stress you faced, but it is important for me to express regret.”
He said that the airline failed to meet passengers’ expectations and offered an unconditional apology.
Mehta announced that operations are improving, with 1,900 flights running today and all 138 destinations connected. “Stability has returned,” he said.
He assured passengers that IndiGo will thoroughly investigate the issue. “We will look into every detail of what went wrong. The board has decided to bring in external experts to help find the root cause and ensure such a disruption never happens again,” he said.
He denied claims that IndiGo created the crisis on purpose or tried to influence government rules. He also rejected allegations that the airline compromised safety. Mehta explained that the disruption was caused by several internal and external factors, including small technical issues, winter schedule changes, bad weather, increased congestion, and new crew rostering rules. “This is not an excuse—it is the truth,” he said.
He said that after the first day of the crisis, the board formed a special risk management team, and with the management, they worked together to restore normal operations faster than expected.
IndiGo has processed refunds worth Rs 100 crore and provided hotel and travel support to affected passengers. Remaining delayed baggage is now being delivered.
Mehta thanked the airline’s pilots, cabin crew, engineers, frontline staff, and employees for their hard work during the crisis. He also thanked the government and regulators for their support.
He ended by saying that IndiGo now needs to rebuild the trust of passengers. “This will not be easy, but we must do it through actions, not words,” he said, assuring travellers that the airline remains committed to safety and reliability.
