Indigo Denies Engineering Flight Cancellations, Bypassing Pilot Fatigue Rules Amid DGCA Crackdown

(MENAFN- Live Mint) IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta has spoken out for the first time since last week's wave of flight cancellations and delays, calling the disruption a“blemish” on the airline's otherwise clean record. The IndiGo chairman also dismissed allegations that the cancellations were engineered as he insisted that the airline made no attempt to bypass the new pilot fatigue and rest rules known as Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules.

Apologising for mass disruptions and denying allegations linked to pilot fatigue rules, Vikram Singh Mehta said,“IndiGo has followed the pilot fatigue (FDTL) rules as they came into effect. We operated under the new rules throughout both July and November. We did not attempt to bypass them. Nor did we do anything that negatively impacted our unblemished track record of safety.”

“The disruptions of last week did not happen because of any deliberate action. They happened because of a combination of internal and unanticipated external events, including minor technical glitches, scheduled changes linked to the start of the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and implementation of/ and operation under the updated Crew Rostering rules,” the chairman continued.

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Vikram Singh Mehta also apologised for last week's mass flight cancellations and admitted that the airline let its customers down.“I know how much distress this caused...We are sorry! I know an apology cannot make up for missed events, long waits, or the stress many of you experienced.”

The IndiGo chairman said that while some of the criticism directed at IndiGo was fair, much of it was not. He rejected accusations that the airline had attempted to influence government regulations, calling such claims“incorrect”.

“The Board has been closely involved with this matter for many months. Both the Board and the Risk management committee have received relevant information from the management on the implementation of the rules. Following the first day of the disruptions, we held an emergency Board meeting and set up a crisis management group. Since then, Board members have been in continuous contact with the management team,” he said.

The IndiGo chairman's remarks come as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) tightens its scrutiny of the airline, forming an Oversight Team to closely monitor its operations. The regulatory body had also instructed officials to conduct immediate on-site inspections at 11 airports.

Earlier, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the curtailing of IndiGo's overall routes by 10%, which the minister said would help in stabilising the airline's operations and lead to reduced cancellations.

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