New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) IndiGo has submitted its formal response to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, in connection with the massive operational disruptions and flight cancellations that affected thousands of passengers earlier this month.
The replies, signed by both the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, were submitted on Monday at 6:01 pm.
In its response, IndiGo expressed “profuse apologies” and deep regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. The airline attributed the disruptions to the “compounding effect of multiple factors”, describing the situation as an “unfortunate and unforeseeable confluence”.
It also highlighted that, given the complexity and vast scale of operations, it is “realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact causes” immediately and requested additional time to conduct a comprehensive Root Cause Analysis (RCA), which will be shared with the DGCA once completed.
Preliminary factors identified by IndiGo include minor technical glitches, schedule adjustments due to the onset of the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system, and the implementation of the updated Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) Phase II crew rostering rules.
The airline noted that it had been engaging with the DGCA to seek variations, exemptions, or extensions while implementing the new regulations.
According to IndiGo, these factors together led to reduced crew availability and lower on-time network performance starting in early December.
To manage the disruptions, IndiGo carried out a “network reboot” on Friday, which involved taking a significant number of flights off schedule to reposition aircraft and crew, alleviate airport congestion, and recover stranded passengers. Services gradually returned to normal from December 6, the airline said.
IndiGo also stated that it provided passenger support, including timely notifications, meals, refreshments, accommodation, and local transport, in line with DGCA requirements.
The DGCA is currently examining IndiGo’s response and will take enforcement action as deemed appropriate.
IndiGo submits response to DGCA over widespread flight disruptions
