"95% Network Connectivity Re-Established, Signs Of Improvement": IndiGo

After days of chaos triggered by the disruption of flight operations, IndiGo has shared a big update. The airline has reestablished 95 per cent of its network connectivity in terms of destinations. The carrier operated to 135 out of the 138 destinations on Saturday and is on course to operate over 1,500 flights by the end of the day, IndiGo said in a statement.

Apologising again, the airline said, "While we understand that we have a long way to go, we are committed to build back the trust of our customers."

The low-cost airline had cancelled nearly a thousand flights yesterday, the "most severely impacted day" in terms of cancellations. In its statement, IndiGo said that it "operated a little above 700 flights yesterday connecting 113 destinations".

"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," said an airline spokesperson.

Crowds at airports eased on Saturday, but several irate passengers gathered outside Bengaluru and Mumbai airports as hundreds of flights were cancelled, on the fifth day of a crisis that has hit the country's biggest airline.

IndiGo, which long prided itself on on-time performance, has admitted it failed to plan properly ahead of a November 1 deadline to implement stricter rules for pilots around night flying and weekly rest, which ultimately led to problems around roster planning this week.

The airline has been directed by the Civil Aviation Ministry 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.

IndiGo, in a statement, also said it is addressing all customer refund issues on "priority".

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement. "Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

Yesterday, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers apologised in a video message for the major inconvenience caused to passengers due to the disruptions.