IndiGo crisis due to internal planning issues: Aviation Minister to Rajya Sabha

Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu while speaking in Rajya Sabha on Monday, said that IndiGo crisis happened due to problems in its crew rostering and internal planning system.

He further stated," For all passengers who have faced difficulties due to delays and cancellations, strict Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) are in place. Airline operators have to follow these requirements. Regarding the software issue, an inquiry has been made. Continuous technology upgradation happens in this sector. Our vision from the government is to have top global standards for the aviation sector in the country."

Earlier in an exclusive conversation with India Today, Ram Mohan Naidu said, "We have not succumbed to any pressure, and we have not any action based on the pressure that has supposedly been built up. My and the government's first focus is the passengers. Air travel is normally taken up by people when they want to reach a place urgently and quickly. So, keeping the interest of air travellers in mind, we have just given temporary abeyance to IndiGo".

The minister further said that based on the findings of the committee formed to probe the matter, stern action will be taken and those responsible for the commotion will pay for it.

MAYHEM CONTINUES

More than 450 IndiGo flights were cancelled across various airports on Monday as operations at the country’s largest airline were yet to return to normal, with disruptions continuing for the seventh straight day in an air travel crisis of a scale India has never witnessed.

At the Delhi airport, 134 IndiGo flights -- 75 departures and 59 arrivals -- were cancelled today, while the Bengaluru airport reported 127 cancellations. Chennai saw 71 flights cancelled, Hyderabad reported 77, 20 in Jammu and 16 in Srinagar.

IndiGo had cancelled over 650 flights on Sunday, down from more than 1,000 two days earlier. Over Rs 610 crore worth of ticket refunds have been processed for affected passengers, according to officials.

The crisis, as per the company, was primarily triggered by a shortage of cockpit crew following the full implementation of government regulations on pilot rest, known as the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. As this led to massive cancellations, causing utter chaos at the country's major airports, the government stepped in, stayed the rule, and the airline hopes to bring operations back to normalcy by December 10.

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