IndiGo offers Rs-10,000 vouchers to ‘severely impacted passengers’, plus compensation

IndiGo announced on Thursday (December 11) that in addition to Rs 5,000–Rs 10,000 compensation it would provide to “severely impacted customers” as per the existing government guidelines, it would also offer travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to those customers.

The airline clarified that the compensation of Rs 5,000–Rs 10,000 would be awarded, depending on the “block time of the flight”, to those customers whose flights were cancelled within 24 hours of departure time.

It also clarified that the travel vouchers could be used for any future IndiGo journey for the next 12 months.

The statement from the airline said that all necessary refunds for cancelled flights have been initiated, “most of which have already reflected in your accounts”, and that the remainder would follow shortly.

“At IndiGo, we are committed to restoring the experience you expect from us – safe, smooth, and reliable. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you again,” ended the statement from the airline.

IndiGo cancels 60 Bengaluru flights

Crisis-hit IndiGo has cancelled 60 flights (32 arrivals and 28 departures) from Bengaluru Airport, a source said, even as the airline announced its plans to operate more than 1,950 flights on Thursday (December 11).

Also Read: IndiGo chairman denies 'engineered crisis' claims, says disruptions 'not deliberate'

The airline operates over 2,200 flights per day across its national and domestic network under the ongoing Winter schedule, which the government has already reduced by 10 per cent to help the carrier "stabilise" its operations and minimise cancellations, which touched 1,600 on December 5.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers to appear before DGCA

Meanwhile, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, has been summoned by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to submit a comprehensive report, including data and an update on the recent operational disruptions, and will appear before the regulator at 3 pm on Thursday.

Also Read: IndiGo crisis: When competition watchdog stops barking, it spells trouble

The airline has been under scrutiny from the DGCA following large-scale disruptions in services on account of planning failures related to the implementation of new pilot and crew duty norms.

DGCA to keep tight watch on IndiGo’s operations

Keeping a tight watch on IndiGo's operations, the DGCA has decided to station its personnel at IndiGo's headquarters, as it steps up oversight on India's largest airline, which continues to cancel dozens of flights despite saying operations have stabilised.

The DGCA has formed an oversight team of eight senior captains, and two of them, along with two government officials, will be stationed at IndiGo's Gurgaon headquarters to monitor cancellation status, crew deployment, unplanned leave, and routes hit by staff shortages.

These teams will submit a daily report to the regulator, says an order.

Also Read: IndiGo refunds Rs 1,158 crore for 12.5 lakh cancelled tickets in 19 days

The pilots' body, Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), in the recent past alleged that while all other airlines have provisioned pilots adequately and remain largely unaffected due to timely planning and preparation, the current disruption at IndiGo was the direct consequence of the airline's "prolonged and unorthodox lean manpower strategy across departments, particularly in-flight operations”.

Despite the two-year preparatory window before full FDTL implementation, the airline "inexplicably adopted a hiring freeze, entered non-poaching arrangements, maintained a pilot pay freeze through cartel-like behaviour, and demonstrated other short-sighted planning practices," it said.

(With agency inputs)