IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers Says Airlines Is Back On Its Feet

IndiGo says its network is now "fully stabilised" and the airline is "back on its feet" after the recent IndiGo flight cancellations that disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers across India and abroad, hitting schedules during the busy winter season.

Even as normal operations resume, IndiGo faces regulatory impact from the IndiGo flight cancellations. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the government will "definitely" trim IndiGo slots during the current winter schedule, with those flying rights reassigned to rival domestic carriers until IndiGo proves it can handle them again.

IndiGo flight cancellations and CEO Pieter Elbers' public apology

Chief executive Pieter Elbers addressed customers directly about the IndiGo flight cancellations and issued a "profuse apology". Elbers admitted the airline failed passengers during the disruption, saying, "We have let you down when a major operational disruption happened, and we're sorry for that," while stressing that repairing trust is now a key priority.

According to Elbers, IndiGo first focused on clearing the backlog created by the IndiGo flight cancellations. The airline worked to move stranded and delayed travellers to their destinations as fast as possible. At the same time, a "no questions asked" refund drive began, and the carrier says "lakhs of customers" have already received complete refunds, with more processed daily.

Operational recovery after IndiGo flight cancellations

Elbers described how IndiGo rebuilt its schedule after the IndiGo flight cancellations "on a war footing". Flights dropped to about 700 on 5 Dec, then rose to 1,500 on 6 Dec and 1,650 on 7 Dec. The airline operated more than 1,800 flights on both 8 Dec and 9 Dec as the network recovered.

The CEO said that baggage teams also tackled problems caused by the IndiGo flight cancellations. Staff have already reunited "most of the bags stuck at airports," and Elbers said the remaining luggage should reach owners soon. The airline operates over 2,200 flights every day, covering about 90 domestic cities and more than 40 international destinations.

By 9 Dec, IndiGo had brought forward its original recovery target linked to the IndiGo flight cancellations. Elbers said, "I can confirm now that today... our operations are fully stabilised," beating the earlier estimate of 10-15 Dec. He added that IndiGo is reviewing what happened to capture "lessons learned" and "emerge stronger."

Elbers accepted that some passenger "angst" remains after the IndiGo flight cancellations but said the airline has also received "heartwarming messages" as bookings return. Elbers told flyers to "keep the faith." "Thank you for accepting our apology and thank you for your patience, understanding and support during this difficult time. Please keep the faith in us. We're still the airline you have known us to be. Thank you," he concluded, while regulators, including the DGCA, have already asked IndiGo to cut flights by 5 percent.