Air India CEO urges staff to support travellers and industry colleagues amid IndiGo crisis

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson issued an internal message to employees on Monday, expressing appreciation for their efforts and encouraging continued support for travelers and industry colleagues during the widespread flight disruptions faced by IndiGo.

Wilson emphasized the empathy shown by Air India staff was making a genuine difference. He urged employees to extend kindness not only to Air India customers but also to workers from other airlines, stressing a shared industry goal of helping travelers reach destinations safely.

The developments coincide with the ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, which entered its seventh consecutive day.

IndiGo Recovery and Government Response

IndiGo reported operating 1,800 flights on Monday, an increase from 1,650 on Sunday, and claimed its network had been fully restored. The airline reported a 90% On-Time Performance (OTP), up from 75% the previous day.

Despite the stated recovery, IndiGo canceled 562 flights across six metro airports on Monday, with 150 cancellations from Bengaluru. The airline, which typically operates about 2,300 daily flights, confirmed that all cancellations were executed one day in advance. IndiGo also stated it has processed Rs 827 crore in refunds, with the remainder for cancellations up to December 15 underway.

In Parliament, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the Centre has ordered a probe into IndiGo’s large-scale cancellations. Naidu explicitly blamed the disruption on an "operational issue created by IndiGo" and its failure to maintain its crew roster, stating the inquiry would set an example for the aviation sector.