IndiGo admits to gaps as 200 more flights cancelled

Travel plans of thousands of passengers went haywire after IndiGo cancelled about 200 flights on Thursday as it continued to recalibrate its schedule and restore its pilot duty roster in an effort to reach a "normalisation of operations", a task that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers has said is not an "easy" one.

- E DEEPAK PATEL

"IndiGo has acknowledged that the disruptions have arisen primarily from misjudgement and planning gaps in implementing Phase II of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations, with the airline accepting that the actual (pilot) crew requirement exceeded their anticipation," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Thursday night.

Delays and cancellations at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and elsewhere triggered a flurry of social media posts from stranded passengers struggling to get clarity on revised departure schedules. Shares of IndiGo fell as much as 3.4 per cent on Thursday and are down 6 per cent for the week. In a separate statement, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said Minister Ram Mohan Naidu chaired a meeting with IndiGo’s senior executives and DGCA officials.

“Naidu expressed clear displeasure regarding the manner in which the situation has been handled by the airline, and stressed that ample preparatory time had been available to ensure a seamless transition to the new regulatory requirements. The minister further directed IndiGo to urgently normalise operations and to ensure that there is no increase in airfares due to the current situation,” the ministry stated.