IndiGo Chairman Dismisses Allegations, Says Flights Back to Normal

In the midst of IndiGo’s operational crisis, the airline’s chairman, Vikram Singh Mehta, on Wednesday dismissed claims that the airline engineered the crisis or tried to influence government rules, emphasising that the disruptions were due to a combination of internal and external factors.

The controversy follows the cancellation of thousands of flights since last Sunday, after IndiGo struggled to implement the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has now directed IndiGo to cut its operations by 10 per cent, while CEO Pieter Elbers has been summoned on Thursday to provide an update on the situation.

In a video statement, Mehta acknowledged that there has been “a lot of criticism, some fair, some not.”

He said that fair criticism includes the airline letting down passengers and being accountable to the government, shareholders, and employees.

Message from Vikram Singh Mehta, Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director of IndiGo pic.twitter.com/sySacxlFq0

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 10, 2025

However, Mehta strongly denied false allegations suggesting that IndiGo deliberately created the crisis, tried to influence government regulations, compromised safety, or that the board was not involved.

“IndiGo has followed the pilot fatigue rules as they came into effect. We operated under the new rules throughout, both in July and November,” he said.

He attributed the flight disruptions to a mix of minor technical glitches, scheduled changes linked to the start of winter, adverse weather, increased air traffic congestion, and implementation of updated crew rostering rules, rather than any deliberate action.

Contrary to claims that the board was not engaged, Mehta said that it had been closely involved for several months.

Following the first day of disruptions, the board convened an emergency meeting and established a crisis management group, which has led to “tangibly positive” results.

“Operations are back to normal earlier than expected. Refunds worth several hundred crores have been processed. Hotel and travel assistance have been provided, and the remaining delayed baggage is now being delivered,” Mehta added.

Nearly 220 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, with Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru reporting the highest numbers.

The chairman also announced that the board will bring in external technical experts to work with management in identifying the root causes of the disruptions and to ensure corrective measures so that such operational issues do not recur.

Also Read: IndiGo Chaos Continues: Passengers Stranded, Flights Still Cancelled