NEW DELHI– Under mounting government pressure, IndiGo on Monday announced that it has refunded Rs 827 crore to affected passengers, with remaining refunds for cancellations through December 15 currently being processed.
The airline said it was prepared to operate more than 1,800 flights on Monday, compared with 1,650 on Sunday, and reported that more than 4,500 delayed bags had been returned to customers. “We are on track to deliver the rest in the next 36 hours,” IndiGo said in a statement.
The airline added that its operations have been streamlined to reduce cancellations, which are now being communicated to customers in advance. IndiGo also reported that its on-time performance has improved to 91 percent across the network.
The update came as the government issued one of its strongest warnings yet over the massive disruptions that have affected passengers nationwide. Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu told Parliament that the government has launched a thorough inquiry into the matter.
“IndiGo was supposed to manage the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action,” he said in the Rajya Sabha.
IndiGo said all cancellations in Monday’s schedule were finalized on Sunday to ensure that passengers received advance notice. The airline stated it is currently assisting more than 200,000 customers per day across its communication channels.
“While IndiGo is progressing further on the path to full recovery, we remain committed to assisting our customers and addressing their queries and requests on a war footing,” the airline said. It added that internal processes have been accelerated to respond to the surge in customer needs.
“We regret this disruption and apologise sincerely to all our customers. We would like to reiterate that all our operations are fully compliant with the relevant FDTL norms and safety regulations, as they have been throughout the last two decades,” IndiGo said. (Source: IANS)
