IndiGo continues to face an operational crisis as major flight cancellations entered their sixth day on Sunday. Budget carrier InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) canceled more than 220 flights at Delhi and Mumbai airports on December 7.
After hundreds of flight cancellations and delays in the last five consecutive days, sources informed PTI about the latest flight disruptions on Sunday.
IndiGo flight cancellation today
Mumbai Airport – 112 flights cancelled
Delhi Airport – 112 flights cancelled
Details of flight cancellations from Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad airports are yet to be released.
A total of 112 flights, including scheduled departures and arrivals, were canceled from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, a PTI report published at 12:05 pm said. Meanwhile, nearly 109 inbound and outbound flights were canceled from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.
This represents a significant improvement in airline operations after Friday’s massive cancellations totaling up to 1,600 of the 2,300 daily flights. Around 800 cancellations were reported on Saturday.
Bengaluru Airport – 124 canceled flights (63 departures and 61 arrivals)
Mumbai Airport – 109 canceled flights (51 departures and 58 arrivals)
Delhi Airport – 106 canceled flights (54 departures and 52 arrivals)
Hyderabad Airport – 66 flights cancelled
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday issued a notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and COO and Manager-in-Charge Porqueras. He asked for a response within 24 hours, explaining the massive disruption to flights and lapses in planning, oversight and resource management.
In a statement on the fiasco, IndiGo issued an explanation: “The main objective (of operating just 700 flights on Friday) was to restart the network, systems and schedules so that we can start again today (Saturday) with more flights, improved stability and there are some early signs of improvement.
According to the regulator’s announcement, the primary cause of the flight interruption is the failure to provide adequate measures that must be in line with the revised requirements for the smooth implementation of the approved Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) scheme for the airline.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu called a “serious meeting” with Elbers and senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry to review the situation and resolve the issue at hand.
The DGCA constituted a four-member inquiry committee to probe the matter and recommend mitigating measures. The panel consists of Joint Director General Sanjay K Bramhane and Deputy Director General Amit Gupta, Chief Inspector of Flight Operations Captain Kapil Manglik and Inspector of Flight Operations Captain Rampal at DGCA. The committee will work on the recommendations and submit its findings to the DGCA within 15 days.
Airfare prices have soared following widespread cancellations, prompting the authorities to step in to rein in ticket costs and ensure full refunds for canceled or delayed flights to all passengers by 8pm on Sunday.
