NEW DELHI — The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday ordered IndiGo to reduce its total number of flights by 10 per cent, tightening restrictions on the crisis-hit airline after a wave of cancellations triggered by a severe pilot shortage under newly implemented flight duty limitation rules.
The directive came hours after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) instructed IndiGo to trim operations by 5 per cent. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the deeper cut was necessary to restore stability to the airline’s schedule.
“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. A curtailment of 10 per cent has been ordered,” the minister said.
He added that IndiGo will continue serving all its existing destinations and must follow all directives from the government, including fare caps and strict passenger convenience measures.
The minister said passengers had suffered significantly over the past week due to what he described as IndiGo’s internal mismanagement of crew rosters, flight schedules and communication. An inquiry is underway, and the Ministry held another review meeting with IndiGo’s senior leadership to evaluate stabilisation efforts.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was summoned again on Tuesday to provide an update. He informed the Ministry that refunds for all flights affected up to December 6 had been completed. The airline has been ordered to expedite all remaining refunds and baggage clearances.
IndiGo remains India’s largest carrier with a 65 per cent market share, followed by Air India at 27 per cent. The DGCA had approved 15,014 weekly IndiGo departures for the winter season, a period of peak travel demand. However, the airline cancelled 951 flights in November out of 64,346 scheduled for the month, causing disruptions across the country. (Source: IANS)
