IndiGo on Sunday insisted that its board of directors had intervened 'on the very first day' of its nationwide operational collapse, even as the airline continued to cancel hundreds of flights for the sixth straight day and regulators escalated action over what they termed 'large-scale operational failures'.
In a regulatory filing, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, which operates IndiGo, says the board was fully briefed by management on day one of the crisis and held a follow-up closed-door session to set up a crisis management group (CMG). The group includes chairman Vikram Singh Mehta, board directors Gregg Saretsky, Michael Whitaker, Amitabh Kant and chief executive officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers. The airline says the CMG has been meeting regularly, monitoring developments and receiving continuous updates from management. Several directors not formally part of the CMG have also been involved in frequent telephonic discussions, it claimed.
“The objective of these meetings and exchanges is to address, as quickly as practically possible, the hardships suffered by our customers and other stakeholders while also restoring operational integrity across the network,” an IndiGo spokesperson says, adding that the board is 'doing everything possible' to ensure timely refunds and waivers on cancellation or rescheduling fees.
The other high-profile non-executive and independent directors of IndiGo include: Meleveetil (M) Damodaran, former chief Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Birender Singh (BS) Dhanoa (former air chief marshal (ACM)), Rahul Bhatia (group managing director (MD) of InterGlobe Enterprises), Mr Whitaker (former administrator of US federal aviation administration (FAA)), Pallavi Shardul Shroff (managing partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co), Anil Parashar (Ex-group chief finance officer of InterGlobe Enterprises), and aviation industry veteran Mr Saretsky.
But, despite IndiGo’s assertion that the board acted immediately, the crisis on the ground has only deepened.
At Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, 117 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Sunday — 56 arrivals and 61 departures — marking one of the worst days since the meltdown began on 2nd December. In past six days, the airport alone has seen over 500 cancelled flights.
Similar disruptions played out across Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, leaving thousands stranded, angry and scrambling for alternatives. Central industrial security force (CISF) strengthened security at several airports after heated confrontations between passengers and airline staff.
The chaos forced state transport corporations to run special buses, while South Central Railway announced extra trains to major cities. At Hyderabad airport, even Ayyappa devotees had to be flown out on special arrangements after being stranded for hours.
The aviation regulator has now stepped in forcefully. On Sunday, directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo’s accountable manager, a day after sending one to CEO Elbers. In its notice, the DGCA says IndiGo’s 'large-scale operation failures' pointed to serious lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management during the rollout of the revised flight duty time limitations (FDTL) norms. It also says IndiGo failed to provide mandated passenger assistance during cancellations, potentially violating Rule 42A of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and multiple civil aviation requirements (CAR).
IndiGo has 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be taken.
Even as regulatory pressure escalates, IndiGo says operations are improving. In a separate regulatory filing, the airline claimed it would operate 1,650 flights on Sunday, up from 1,500 on Saturday, and reported an improved on-time performance of 75%, compared to 30% the previous day. Refund and baggage-tracing functions are now operating 'at full capacity,' the airline says, expressing confidence that its network will stabilise by 10th December.
However, over 220 flights had already been cancelled on Sunday at the time this report was filed, contradicting the airline’s optimistic projections. Across social platforms, passengers continued to complain of last-minute cancellations, delayed refunds, and poor communication.
While IndiGo emphasises that its board moved swiftly on day one, the ongoing disruptions, regulator notices, frantic passenger evacuations via buses and trains, and widespread public anger suggest a crisis far from under control — and one that may leave longer-term scars on India’s largest airline.
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