IndiGo chairman apologises for flight chaos, announces expert team to prevent future disruptions
NEW DELHI: IndiGo s top management has broken its silence on the massive travel chaos earlier this month, with Chairman of InterGlobe Aviation Limited, Vikram Singh Mehta, issuing a public apology and announcing corrective steps to prevent such disruptions in the future. In a 7.43-minute video released on Wednesday, Mehta apologised repeatedly for the ordeal faced by passengers and denied allegations that the crisis was engineered or mishandled deliberately. The Board has decided it will involve external technical experts to work with the management and help identify the root causes and ensure corrective action so that this level of disruption never occurs again, he said. He dismissed accusations that the airline manipulated the situation, influenced the government, compromised safety or sidelined the Board. These claims are incorrect, he said, adding that IndiGo complied with all pilot fatigue management rules. IndiGo has followed the Pilot Fatigue Rules (FDTL) as they came into effect We did not attempt to bypass them. Message from Vikram Singh Mehta, Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director of IndiGo pic.twitter.com/sySacxlFq0 IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) December 10, 2025 Mehta explained that the breakdown began on December 3. An unexpected chain of events led to large-scale flight cancellations. This continued into 4th and 5th December Many missed important family events, business commitments, medical appointments and international connections. Baggage was delayed or misdirected, he said. I know how much distress this caused. I want to say, very simply and very clearly. We are sorry! He outlined a combination of internal issues and external triggers such as minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and the transition to updated crew rostering rules. This is not an excuse. This is simply the truth, he stressed. Mehta said he delayed speaking publicly as the airline prioritised restoring operations. As of Wednesday, IndiGo had stabilised operations, operating more than 1,900 flights and reconnecting all 138 destinations, with on-time performance back to normal. He rejected claims that the Board was disengaged, saying it had been monitoring developments for months. Following the first day of the disruptions, we held an emergency board meeting and set up a crisis management group The crisis management team has been meeting every day, he said. The airline, he added, had focused on restoring operations, supporting passengers, maintaining transparent communication and preventing any repeat of the situation. Calling the episode a stain on IndiGos reputation, Mehta admitted failures but promised improvement. The Company has erred. There is no denying this. It has now to build back your trust. This will not be easy. It will depend on actions not words. It will be a journey.
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