New Delhi: The Centre has decided to slash IndiGo’s winter flight schedule and allot slots to other operators. This was announced by civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, barely hours after he warned of exemplary action against the airline for the recent chaos at airports.
“We will curtail IndiGo’s routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them,” Naidu told Doordarshan in an interview on Monday night.
IndiGo has processed refunds worth Rs 745 crore for 7,30,655 cancelled PNRs between December 1 and December 8, the minister said, as reported by NDTV.
Earlier in the day, Naidu briefed the Rajya Sabha about the mess witnessed over the last several days and spoke of action against the airline.
The cancellation of hundreds of flights over the past week was the result of IndiGo’s “internal crisis” after the new passenger safety norms came into force, the minister said.
“We care for pilots, crew and passengers. We made it clear to all the airlines. IndiGo was supposed to manage
the crew and roster. Passengers faced a lot of difficulties. We are not taking the situation lightly. We will take strict action. We will set an example for every airline. If there is any non-compliance, we will take action,” Naidu said in Parliament, adding that the government has initiated a thorough inquiry into the matter.
With opposition leaders blaming the situation to the duopoly that exists in the country’s aviation sector, Naidu told the House that even the government wants more players. The country has the potential to have five major airlines, he said.
Airports across the country have witnessed severe chaos over the last week with IndiGo making hundreds of cancellations daily. These cancellations that upended wedding plans, holidays and professional commitments.
The cause behind this was the airline’s failure to prepare a roster in accordance with the government’s new flight safety rules that were announced nearly two years ago. These new rules focused on tackling pilot fatigue, a key factor to ensure passenger safety. The new rules call for more downtime, requiring airlines to recruit more pilots.
IndiGo’s philosophy is based on minimising downtime though. When the rules kicked in, the airline fell short of crew. This led to hundreds of cancellations and an ordeal for passengers. As the situation spiralled out of control, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, temporarily relaxed the new norms.