IndiGo Says Media Report on Flight Cuts ‘Does Not Reflect’ Its Stance; Points to CEO’s Video Clarification

New Delhi: InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of IndiGo, has formally told the National Stock Exchange that a news report in The Economic Times on planned flight reductions “does not accurately reflect” the airline’s operational position. The exchange had sought clarification on an ET article titled “IndiGo to cut flights from December 8; targets full restoration by February 2026.”In its response, IndiGo said the assertions made in the report were inconsistent with the company’s current assessment of its operations. The airline directed the exchange to a video statement issued by CEO Pieter Elbers on its official social media handle, which it said provides the “correct operational updates as on date.”In the video — transcript of which was shared with the exchange — Elbers acknowledged that IndiGo had faced “severe operational disruptions” for several days, with December 5 seeing over 1,000 cancellations, accounting for more than half of its daily operations.He issued an apology to passengers and outlined a three-step action plan focused on customer communication, clearing stranded passengers, and resetting crew-aircraft alignment to stabilise operations.

Elbers said the airline had opted for a full-system “reboot” on December 5, which triggered the day’s exceptionally high cancellations but was necessary for progressive improvement. He added that cancellations were expected to fall below 1,000 the following day, aided by DGCA’s temporary FDTL relaxations.IndiGo expects operations to return to normal between December 10 and 15, according to the CEO’s statement. “Given the size, scale and complexity of our operations, it will take some time to return to a full normal situation,” he said, adding that the airline is working closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA.