Facing intense government scrutiny over recent disruptions in its flight services, IndiGo on Friday said that its board has approved the hiring of a consulting firm to carry out a root-cause analysis of the crisis.
The airline has roped in Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by Captain John Illson, to undertake the root-cause analysis of its worst operational breakdown last week.
Last week, IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights, triggering chaos at airports across the country and leaving passengers stranded.
The airline attributed the disruptions to several factors, including minor technical glitches, adverse weather conditions and the implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) Phase II, which resulted in a crew shortage.
“Captain Illson brings more than four decades of aviation experience across the FAA, ICAO, IATA and major global carriers. With an illustrious track record in global air transport, he brings extensive expertise in global aviation strategy, customized consulting, safety leadership, setting international standards and new aircraft technologies,” IndiGo said in a statement.
IndiGo added that the objective is “to conduct an independent root-cause analysis of the recent operational disruption, besides identifying opportunities for improvement.”
Earlier this week, the Civil Aviation Ministry had summoned IndiGo’s top management, including CEO Pieter Elbers, and asked for the exact reasons behind the disruptions in its services.
At the time, IndiGo had requested more time to carry out a root-cause analysis to pinpoint the exact reasons that led to the crisis.
Earlier in the day, the DGCA dismissed four flight inspectors who were responsible for monitoring safety and operational standards at IndiGo.
The DGCA decided to terminate their services after concluding that they had been negligent in carrying out their inspection and monitoring duties.
The regulator has reportedly deployed two special oversight teams at IndiGo’s Gurugram office to closely monitor the airline’s operations.