NEW DELHI, DEC 9 : Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said the Centre will cut IndiGo\u2019s winter flight schedule and reallocate those slots to other airlines in the wake of the country’s largest carrier\u2019s massive operational meltdown. With the disruptions still continuing, nearly 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled today, with Delhi (152) and Bengaluru (121) the hardest hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cancellations were also reported in Chennai (81), Hyderabad (58), Mumbai (31), Lucknow (26) and Ahmedabad (16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the wake of the crisis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) will hold a review meeting with top officials from all airline operators today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources said the review meeting will focus on ensuring that a crisis similar to the recent IndiGo operational disruptions does not recur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking to Doordarshan on Monday evening, the Aviation Minister said the Centre will cut IndiGo\u2019s winter flight schedule and reallocate those slots to other airlines. He also said that 6,000 of the 9,000 stranded passenger bags have been delivered, with the remaining expected to reach travellers by Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a post on X, Ram Mohan Naidu said that he said a high-level review meeting was held on Monday night to assess the situation, and senior officials have been directed to visit airports to check airline operations and passenger services. “Any gaps identified, including those flagged by passengers, are to be fixed immediately.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to sources, today\u2019s MoCA meeting at Rajiv Bhawan will review IndiGo\u2019s operations, including passenger load, customer care, and the refund process. The discussion will also cover how the airline plans to restore its operations to full strength. Updates on the implementation of airfare caps are expected to be addressed, and any concerns raised by other airline operators will be noted during the session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has deployed 10 officials to various airports to monitor the situation. They will remain on-site for the next 2\u20133 days to oversee measures aimed at assisting passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources said the DGCA\u2019s High-Level Committee has summoned IndiGo\u2019s top executives, including CEO Pieter Elbers. The four-member panel has called them to appear on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DGCA has received IndiGo\u2019s response to a show-cause notice, in which the airline expressed \u201cprofuse apologies\u201d and deep regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. IndiGo attributed the crisis to a \u201ccompounding effect of multiple factors\u201d that came together in an \u201cunfortunate and unforeseeable confluence.\u201d IndiGo has requested more time to complete a detailed root-cause analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its latest status update, IndiGo said it is continuing to make progress toward full recovery and remains committed to supporting customers and addressing their queries \u201con a war footing.\u201d The airline said it has accelerated several internal processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The airline also said that between December 1 and 7, it facilitated stranded passengers by arranging more than 9,500 hotel rooms and nearly 10,000 cabs and buses. It added that over 4,500 misplaced bags have already been returned to customers, with the remainder expected to be delivered within the next 36 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A plea filed in the Delhi High Court, which is scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, seeks directions from the Centre to immediately provide basic facilities to passengers stranded at airports. It also calls for an independent judicial investigation into the IndiGo disruptions, with the findings to be made public. Additionally, the petition requests the government to establish a mechanism to prevent any surge in airfares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said a total of 5,86,705 PNRs were cancelled and refunded for the period December 1\u20137, totaling Rs 569.65 crore. Overall, 9,55,591 PNRs were cancelled and refunded between November 21 and December 7, amounting to Rs 827 crore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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