IndiGo Restores 95% Network Connectivity After Major Flight Disruptions

New Delhi:

IndiGo airlines has announced a significant recovery in its operations following days of widespread flight disruptions. The carrier has successfully restored 95 percent of its network connectivity across destinations, operating flights to 135 out of 138 locations on Saturday. According to the airline's statement, they are on track to operate over 1,500 flights by day's end.

The airline extended another apology to affected customers, acknowledging: "While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to build back the trust of our customers."

The low-cost carrier had experienced its "most severely impacted day" in terms of cancellations the previous day, with nearly a thousand flights cancelled. IndiGo reported that it "operated a little above 700 flights yesterday connecting 113 destinations."

An airline spokesperson explained, "The main objective was to reboot the network, systems, and rosters so that we could start afresh today with a higher number of flights, improved stability, and there are some early signs of improvement."

While airport congestion showed signs of easing on Saturday, frustrated passengers were still gathering outside airports in Bengaluru and Mumbai as hundreds of flights continued to be cancelled, marking the fifth day of the crisis affecting India's largest airline.

IndiGo, which has historically prided itself on punctuality, has admitted to inadequate planning ahead of the November 1 deadline for implementing stricter regulations regarding pilot scheduling, particularly around night flying and weekly rest periods, which ultimately resulted in this week's roster planning difficulties.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has directed the airline to complete all ticket refund processes for cancelled flights by Sunday evening and ensure any separated baggage is delivered to travelers within the next two days.

In its statement, IndiGo confirmed that it is addressing all customer refund issues as a "priority."

The ministry's statement specified that the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, adding: "Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations."

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers had previously issued a video message apologizing for the major inconvenience caused to passengers due to these service disruptions.