IndiGo appoints independent aviation expert Captain John Illson to find out causes of flight disruptions

NEW DELHI: IndiGo airlines announced on Friday that the company’s Board has approved the appointment of Chief Aviation Advisors LLC, led by Captain John Illson, veteran Aviation Expert to find out the “root cause analysis of the recent operational disruption” which affected thousands of air passengers across the country, especially in major urban hubs for air travel.

The decision was taken following the recommendation of the Crisis Management Group (CMG) constituted by the IndiGo Board just after disruptions started in the first week of December.

According to an official statement from the airline, “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, customised consulting, safety leadership, setting international standards, and new aircraft technologies.”

The objective is to conduct an independent root-cause analysis of the recent operational disruption, and to identify opportunities for improvement, the airline’s statement read.

“With the Board’s approval now in place, the review will begin at the earliest, and the independent expert reviewer will submit a comprehensive report to the Board upon completion,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.

The airline had earlier identified some preliminary contributing factors to this fiasco, including newer amendments to the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) order.

The airline stated it is “realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)” at this time due to the complexity and vast scale of operations. They note that the DGCA’s manual allows a fifteen-day response timeline for SCNs, suggesting more time is needed to conduct a comprehensive ‘Root Cause Analysis’ (RCA). The complete RCA will be shared once finished,” DGCA quoted the IndiGo reply to the show cause notice.

Along with the FDTL order, IndiGo mentioned other contributing factors such as “minor technical glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions.”

Meanwhile, a special four-member committee of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has called IndiGo Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers today to question him on the widespread cancellation of flights last week.

DGCA has increased scrutiny of the airline following widespread flight cancellations and delays, and has taken several steps to ensure smooth operations.

Earlier, DGCA issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers after widespread cancellations. The airline, responding to the Show Cause notice, requested additional time to respond, stating that it is “realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)” at this time, given the “complexity and vast scale of operations.”

Captain John IllsonIndiGo has offered travel vouchers worth Rs 10,000 to severely impacted customers over the past few days, which can be used for any future IndiGo journey within the next 12 months. (ANI)