IndiGo Flight Crisis Day 8: More than 400 Flights Cancelled, the Airline Guarantees to Bring 8,500 Stranded Bags by 7 PM
The crisis with IndiGo flights has entered the 8th day with more than 400 flights affected all over India. The airline has promised to deliver 8,500
image for illustrative purpose
IndiGo, the biggest airline in India, experienced the 8th consecutive day of huge operational disturbance with the cancellation of 400+ flights in and out of the main airports, that is, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and other cities. The matter that along with the passengers dealing with delays, cancellations, and misplaced baggage raised a question in Parliament, was handled by ministers, MPs, and the aviation regulator coming up with a solution.
The company still claimed in spite of the crisis going on that it was “stabilising” its operations, although long queues, families waiting for their flights, and thousands of bags not claimed gave a totally different view at various airports.
IndiGo Says 8,500 Stranded Bags Will Be Delivered by 7 PM
In a new announcement, IndiGo said that by 7 PM today it will be able to deliver 8,500 pieces of luggage that have been stranded at airports.
The airline mentioned that it has already completed the delivery process at 49 out of its 94 destinations, while there are still 800 bags left on the move in the other airports.
Political Storm: Opposition Attacks Centre, Demands Accountability
Gaurav Gogoi and KC Venugopal, the Congress party leaders, blamed the government for putting the entire responsibility on IndiGo.
Gogoi accused the government of pretending that the DGCA has no role to play in the regulation process.
Venugopal hinted at “hidden aspects” involved in the disruptions and demanded a thorough investigation.
CPI leader Narayana suggested that this was the “right time” to deal strictly with the airline for “not adhering to the rules”.
Flight Cancellations Across Major Cities
Today, 422 IndiGo flights were cancelled from major Indian airports:
Delhi: 152
Bengaluru: 121
Hyderabad: 58
Mumbai: 41
Chennai: 50+
Passengers are still reporting long delays, no clear information, and problems with getting support from the airline.
IndiGo CEO Apologises, Says Operations Are Stabilising
In order to address the public's dissatisfaction, CEO Pieter Elbers made a video apology:
“The cancellations cannot be undone, but we are determined to ensure that our customers are safely transported home.”
Refunds will be given “no questions asked.”
IndiGo boasts of having given refunds of ₹827 crore, with millions of customers already compensated.
Besides, Elbers hinted that the airline was “working in full cooperation with the government” and that it had achieved a 91% on-time performance in flight operations.
Government Steps In: DGCA Cuts IndiGo’s Winter Schedule by 5%
DGCA has reported that although IndiGo has raised the number of scheduled departures this year, the airline has failed to expedite its operation resulting in the imposition of cancellations.
Major steps that were taken:
IndiGo has to lower its daily flights by 5%.
A new winter schedule is to be sent by IndiGo by December 10.
A show-cause notice has been served on the airline’s management.
The government has assigned senior авиа officers to ten major airports for monitoring purposes.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu reported that:
More than ₹750 crore in refunds have already reached the hands of the passengers.
Baggage tracing and rebooking are at the “final stages”.
The government set fare caps in order to stop the airlines from raising prices during the turmoil.
Passengers Still Stranded Across Airports
Even though reassurance was given, the images from the airports showed:
Families waiting for hours in the same place
People sleeping on the floor of the airport
No clear communication was reported
Bags piled in the baggage halls
In the airport of Ahmedabad, the situation was such that at least 16 flights had been cancelled and the passengers were waiting for a new schedule up to 12 hours.
Pilot Body Raises Safety Concerns
The ALPA India has condemned the DGCA for allowing IndiGo the flexibility regarding the pilots' duty norms for that time.
They cautioned that the easing up of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limit) rules “jeopardizes safety” and that “different laws for different airlines” would be in place which would lead to the long-term concerns.
What’s Next?
The airline IndiGo is claiming that it is almost back to normal as it has more than 1,800 flights operating today.
However, since there are still hundreds of cancellations happening daily and the political pressure is getting stronger, a complete recovery may require a few more days.
