Mumbai: IndiGo’s board on Friday announced the appointment of an external aviation expert to carry out a root-cause analysis of recent flight disruptions.
“Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by Captain John Illson, veteran aviation expert, to conduct an independent expert review and assessment of the recent operational disruption and the contributing factors,” the airline said in a statement.
The board of InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of IndiGo, has already set up a crisis management group in the wake of the significant operational disruptions that started on December 2.
According to the statement, the independent aviation expert will start the review at the earliest and submit a comprehensive report to the board.
“The objective is to conduct an independent root cause analysis of the recent operational disruption, besides opportunities for improvement,” it said.
“We assure you that we will examine every aspect of what went wrong and we will learn from it,” Mehta said in his statement. “The Board has decided it will involve an external technical expert to work with the management and help determine the root causes and ensure corrective action. So that this level of disruption never occurs again.”
The commitment comes days after IndiGo restored full network operations following three days of severe disruptions on December 3, 4 and 5, when a chain of internal and external factors triggered widespread cancellations and delays. Mehta said the airline is now operating over 1,900 flights, connecting all 138 destinations, with on-time performance back to normal levels.
Chairman issues unconditional apology
Mehta issued a personal apology to customers affected by the events, acknowledging the hardship caused by missed family gatherings, business meetings and international connections. “I want to say, very simply and very clearly. We are sorry,” he said. “We did not meet your expectations during those days. And for that, we are truly sorry.”
He said the disruptions left thousands stranded, with baggage delayed or misdirected. Despite calls for him to respond earlier, he said the board felt its first duty was to support CEO Pieter Elbers and his team as they worked to stabilise operations. “With this stability achieved, I feel this is the right time for me to speak,” he added.
