Indigo Crisis Latest Updates: Angered by the way IndiGo’s operational crisis has troubled millions of passengers across the country, the government has now come into the field with full force. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has given strict orders on the airline crisis. It has been said in the order that the refund of every passenger should be completed by 8 pm. Also, deliver every baggage home within 48 hours and bring the fares on the affected routes under the cap. These decisions of the government have made it clear that this time there is no scope for carelessness and the first priority is to reduce the problems of the people rapidly.
Amidst this chaos, another angle made the crisis worse. A viral ‘open letter’ issued in the name of IndiGo pilots has surfaced. It was claimed that this condition of the airline did not happen suddenly but is the result of years of mistakes. And while the operation was collapsing, CEO Peter Elbers was vacationing at his home in the Netherlands. Although this letter is unverified, its timing made the situation more serious.
Why did the government take such strict action?
IndiGo flights jumped from 706 on December 5 to 1,565 on December 6, and are expected to cross 1,650 today. But last week’s massive cancellations had created conditions like crowding at airports across the country, baggage mishandling, and steep increase in fares. The government was not ready to call it a system failure, instead it chose the path of immediate reform.
What is the matter? The government has drawn the Lakshman Rekha
The government has given clear orders to IndiGo that all refunds of canceled and highly delayed flights should be cleared by 8 pm tonight. The ministry also clarified that the airline will not be able to charge even a single rupee extra from passengers for any further rescheduling.
DGCA has sent a notice to the CEO and sought immediate corrective steps from the airline. (Image: Social Media)
Why this strictness?
Because in the control room of the ministry, in the last three days, most of the complaints were about refund, baggage and fare spike.
- The four fronts on which the government ordered IndiGo to take immediate action are as follows:
- Refund: Refund of all passengers by 8 pm today.
- Fare Cap: Cap applicable with immediate effect on affected routes.
- Baggage: Delivery of every missed bag within 48 hours.
- Customer Support: Special support cell and control room activated.
How did the situation become worse? Pilots’ claims came to light
Amidst this crisis, the open letter of the alleged IndiGo pilots which went viral on social media has raised serious questions on the internal situation of the airline. According to the letter, Indigo did not break in a day, it was in the making for years. The letter claims that problems like fatigue, less staff, impossible roster and pressure on raising complaints had existed in the company for a long time.
Accusations on management?
The letter lists the eight senior officials on whom responsibility for the crisis has been placed:
- CEO Peter Elbers- Accusation: Vacation in Netherlands during crisis
- Jason Hurter – SVP, OCC
- Aditi Kumari
- tapas day
- Rahul Patil
- Isidore Porcaras – COO
- Ashim Mitra – SVP, Flight Operations
- Akshay Mohan
The letter alleges that the company culture was weakened by giving senior positions to the wrong people.
Amidst the crisis, the open letter of the alleged IndiGo pilots which went viral on social media has raised serious questions on the internal situation of the airline.
Government vs Indigo? No focus only on passenger convenience
24×7 control room continuously
- airport status
- Crew Rostering
- passenger complaint
- and operational stability
But is monitoring.
Will there be further strictness?
DGCA has already issued a show-cause notice to CEO Peter Elbers. If IndiGo defaults in the instructions, the possibility of further major action has not been ruled out. The government said that the safety and respect of passengers is our top priority.
