IndiGo disruptions: 95% network connectivity restored, on way to operate 1500 flights today, says airline

IndiGo on Saturday (Dec 06) said that it has reestablished 95 per cent of its network connectivity with flights operating on 135 out of the 138 destinations, adding that the airline is on its way to operate over 1500 flights by the end of the day. This marked a sharp recovery from Friday, when the airline just operated 700 flights, causing disruptions and chaos across airports in the country, with thousands of passengers stranded.

The carrier said the reduction in the number of flights was necessary to reset rosters, systems, and overall network planning to stabilise operations. “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,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.

Also Read: Rs 7500 up to 500 KM: Centre caps ticket prices as IndiGo crisis deepens

"While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to building back the trust of our customers," it said in a statement apologising again for the inconvenience caused.

Friday marked the "most severely impacted day" in the five-day Indigo ordeal when the airline cancelled nearly a thousand flights, leading to high demands, thousands of travellers waiting in airport lobbies and also resulting in a steep surge in airline ticket prices on busy routes like Delhi-Bengaluru, where the airfare touched nearly 1 lakh for economy class.

The price surge prompted the Centre to put an upper limit on the ticket prices for economy-class domestic travel. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has fixed maximum airfares based on stage length to prevent overcharging amid the ongoing crisis. For routes up to 500 km, the fare cap is set at Rs 7,500, while flights between 500 and 1,000 km cannot exceed Rs 12,000. Routes covering 1,000 to 1,500 km have a maximum limit of Rs 15,000, and any journey beyond 1,500 km is capped at Rs 18,000.

The Ministry also directed IndiGo to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening and ensure baggage separated from the travellers is delivered in the next two days.