IndiGo Chairman denies claims of engineering operational meltdown
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IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta on Wednesday rejected allegations that the airline intentionally triggered last week’s operational crisis to bypass the revised Flight Duty Time Limit norms.
He said the disruptions were not planned but were caused by a mix of internal issues and unexpected external events that pushed the airline’s systems beyond their limits.
Mehta said minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, bad weather, congestion in the aviation network, and the rollout of new FDTL rules contributed to the breakdown.
He dismissed accusations that IndiGo influenced government regulations, compromised passenger safety, or lacked board oversight, calling the claims false.
According to him, the board held an emergency meeting on the first day of the crisis and set up a crisis management group that met daily. He said the airline focused on restoring operations, supporting passengers, and preventing a repeat of the incident.
Mehta called the episode a blemish on IndiGo’s reputation and said the airline must rebuild trust through consistent action.
Mehta apologised to passengers affected on December 3, 4, and 5, when a chain of events led to widespread cancellations, baggage delays, and missed personal and professional commitments.
He said the airline fully followed pilot fatigue rules and operated under the revised norms throughout July and November.
He said the board has decided to bring in an external technical expert to identify the root causes of the crisis and guide corrective measures.
Mehta added that IndiGo’s operations have now stabilised, with more than 1,900 flights running, all 138 destinations connected, and on-time performance back to normal levels.
He acknowledged that criticism was justified because the airline failed its passengers and said IndiGo will examine every aspect of what went wrong. The chairman assured customers, the government, shareholders, and employees that the airline will learn from the episode and emerge stronger.