IndiGo did not 'engineer the crisis', says airline Chairman in rare apology video

Dubai: In a rare public appearance, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd — the parent company of IndiGo Airlines — Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta has issued a video message denying accusations that the airline had “engineered the ongoing crisis” that crippled its operations for well over a week, causing millions in losses.

Addressing speculation around the cause of the chaos, Mehta rejected allegations that the airline had manipulated circumstances or compromised safety standards in the apology video.

“The claims that IndiGo engineered the crisis, tried to influence government rules, that we compromised safety, that the board was not involved, are incorrect,” he said in the video. He said IndiGo followed the Pilot Fatigue Rules as and when they came into effect.

Watch the apology video here:

“We operated under the new rules throughout, both in June and in November," assured the Chairman. "We did not attempt to bypass them nor did we do anything that negatively impacted our unblemished track record of safety," he added.

The airline was forced to cancel 951 flights in November out of the 64,346 flights approved for the entire month, causing a huge dent to India's aviation ecosystem.

However, Mehta attributed the crisis to a combination of internal and external factors, including technical glitches, scheduling shifts linked to winter operations, weather disruptions, aviation congestion, and the transition to updated crew rostering rules. “This is not an excuse,” he said. “It is the truth.”

IndiGo is experiencing one of the most disruptive operational breakdowns in the airline’s history. Mehta said the events that caused mass flight cancellations were “not deliberate” and “pushed the system beyond its limits.”

Thousands of passengers were stranded after widespread flight disruptions hit the carrier in the past week, leading to missed family events, business meetings, and medical travel.

Mehta acknowledged the distress caused, saying, “I want to say very simply and clearly — we are sorry.”

The Chairman explained that he had delayed making a public statement until the airline achieved operational stability. “The board and I felt our first duty was to support the CEO, Peter Elbers, and his team in restoring operations and helping passengers,” he said.

According to Mehta, IndiGo has now stabilised operations, with over 1,900 flights operating daily across 138 destinations. The airline’s on-time performance has returned to pre-crisis levels.

“An apology cannot make up for the missed events or stress many of you have experienced,” Mehta said. “We did not meet your expectations during those days, and for that, we are truly sorry.”

The IndiGo Board will now engage external technical experts to assist management in identifying the root causes of the disruption and to ensure corrective action is implemented.

“We owe answers to our customers, government, shareholders and employees,” Mehta said. “The board will ensure that this level of disruption never occurs again.”

He also emphasised that the board had been fully engaged since the onset of the disruptions, holding emergency meetings and setting up a crisis management group. “The claim that the board was not engaged is incorrect,” he clarified.

Mehta said refunds worth several hundred crores had been processed and that assistance for stranded passengers—including hotel stays and travel arrangements—was provided. Delayed baggage was in the final stages of being delivered.