India’s largest airline IndiGo said on Friday that the company’s board appointed veteran aviation expert Capt. John Illson, who led Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, to conduct a “root cause analysis of the recent disruption” that left many passengers stranded at many airports across the country this month.
According to PTI, the airline said, “Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by Captain John Illson, a veteran aviation expert, to conduct an independent professional review and assessment of the recent disruption and the factors that contributed to it. The objective is to conduct an independent analysis of the root causes of the recent disruption, in addition to opportunities for improvement.”
Who is Captain John Illson?
Captain Illson has more than four decades of experience in aviation, having worked with FAA, ICAO, IATA and major global carriers, ANI said, citing an official airline statement, adding that he is recognized for his extensive expertise in global aviation strategy, customized consulting, safety leadership, implementation of international standards and new aviation technologies, reflecting his outstanding track record in the aviation industry.
A spokesman for the airline said: “With the approval of the board, the review will now begin at the earliest and an independent expert reviewer will submit a comprehensive report to the board on completion.
IndiGo crisis
The airline has previously pointed to some preliminary factors contributing to the disruption, including recent changes to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).
IndiGo said it was “not realistically possible to determine the exact cause” at this stage due to the “complexity and sheer scale of operations”. The airline also said that the DGCA manual allows for a 15-day timeline for SCN responses, indicating that more time is needed to complete a thorough “root cause analysis” (RCA). “The complete RCA will be shared as soon as it is finalised,” the DGCA quoted from IndiGo’s response to the show-cause notice.
In the FDTL order, IndiGo highlighted other contributing factors, including “minor technical glitches, schedule changes and (a) adverse weather conditions.”
Meanwhile, a special four-member committee from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) today summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to question him regarding the widespread cancellation of flights last week.
Following the operational chaos, the DGCA has tightened its control over the airline and taken several measures to ensure smoother operations.
Earlier, the DGCA sent a visibility notice to CEO Pieter Elbers following widespread cancellations. The airline asked for additional time, saying it was currently “not realistically possible to determine the exact cause” given the “complexity and sheer scale of operations”.
IndiGo has also offered travel vouchers worth ₹10,000 to severely affected passengers in the last few days, which can be used for any future IndiGo journey within the next 12 months.
