Ahmedabad: IndiGo flight delays irk passengers, ministry orders probe

IndiGo flight delays continue at Ahmedabad airport, with a passenger reporting a 12-hour wait. In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered inspections at major airports, and the DGCA has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo's CEO.

The IndiGo flight delays and cancellations continue to affect passengers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Khuman Singh, a passenger at the airport, shared that his flight got delayed by at least 12 hours. Speaking on the helpline service of IndiGo, he stressed that even after getting in contact with them for 2 days, they did not give any satisfactory answer. "I had to go to Chennai and booked a round-trip flight. I did not have an issue while arriving, but while returning, my flight was scheduled for 2 AM on 9th December. I got a message that it has been rescheduled for 9 PM. Now I will have to wait for 12 hours here. I have been trying on the helpline for 2 days, but did not get a satisfactory response..."

Ministry of Civil Aviation Orders Nationwide Inspections

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed senior officers to conduct on-ground inspections at major airports across the country. According to the Ministry, officers at the level of Deputy Secretary, Director and Joint Secretary have been ordered to physically visit key airports within the next day to review the overall situation and assess the difficulties being faced by passengers. The airports placed under this special inspection drive include Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Guwahati, Goa and Thiruvananthapuram.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have been continuously monitoring the situation across all airports in real time since December 3, due to extraordinary circumstances arising from the disruption of IndiGo operations. According to a statement from Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinarapu's Office, a high-level review meeting comprising all senior officials was held to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the situation. All senior officials of the Ministry have been instructed to visit airports to verify airline operations and passenger-oriented services. Any shortcomings identified, including feedback from passenger interactions, are to be addressed and rectified immediately, the statement said.

DGCA Issues Show Cause Notice to IndiGo

Notably, on December 6, DCGA issued show cause notices to IndiGo's Chief Executive Officer, Pieter Elbers, and its Chief Operating Officer, Isidro Porqueras. (ANI)

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