IndiGo Restores Full Operations After December Disruptions, CEO Says Airline Has Stabilised

India’s largest airline IndiGo has restored its flight network to around 2,200 daily services, marking a return to near-normal operations after severe disruptions earlier this month that caused widespread passenger inconvenience across the country.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said the airline has now stabilised its operations and assured employees that “the worst is behind us”, following what he described as one of the most challenging phases in the carrier’s history.

In a message to staff, Elbers thanked pilots, cabin crew, airport teams, operations control and customer service personnel for working together during the crisis. He said the rapid recovery was a reflection of teamwork and strong operating principles at scale.

According to Elbers, IndiGo is now focused on three key priorities — strengthening operational resilience, conducting a root-cause analysis of the breakdown, and rebuilding systems to prevent a recurrence. He said the airline would also prepare for the upcoming IROP (irregular operations) season, with the aim of minimising the impact of external disruptions on passengers.

The CEO cautioned against speculation over the reasons behind the disruption, stating that multiple factors appeared to have compounded the situation. An external aviation expert, appointed by the airline’s board, will conduct a comprehensive review of the episode.

As part of rebuilding efforts, IndiGo’s leadership team will travel across its network to interact directly with employees and gather feedback from ground operations to strengthen future preparedness.

Reflecting on IndiGo’s journey, Elbers said the airline had grown from a single aircraft in 2006 to a workforce of 65,000 employees, having served more than 850 million passengers over 19 years. He reiterated the airline’s commitment to reliability, discipline and customer focus.

Meanwhile, the crisis has drawn scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. A parliamentary standing committee criticised both IndiGo and aviation regulator DGCA, calling their responses to the disruptions “evasive and unconvincing,” and flagging poor coordination within the civil aviation ecosystem.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu had earlier issued a stern warning, saying the government would not hesitate to remove IndiGo’s top leadership if accountability was established. He blamed the airline for failing to manage crew and rostering systems effectively and stressed that passenger protection would remain the government’s top priority.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court disposed of a fresh public interest litigation against IndiGo, noting that the issues raised were already under consideration in an existing petition.

IndiGo shares were trading nearly 2% higher on Thursday, reflecting investor optimism following the restoration of operations.