indigo crisisImage Credit source: ai generated
IndiGo Crisis: The country’s most reliable airline ‘Indigo’ is going through its worst phase today. The airline which was known for ‘on time flights’ and ‘economical travel’, today the same company has become a cause of trouble for thousands of passengers. The ongoing cancellation of flights and chaos at airports for the last few days has shocked the common man. This condition of the company, which has more than 60 percent share in the domestic market, has not only tarnished its credibility but has also raised serious questions on the role of the company’s management and its high-profile board of directors.
There is an army of scoundrels on the board, yet the management failed.
The biggest question arising is that how did such a big mistake happen in a company which has an army of big guns on its board? Indigo The board includes G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, former Air Force chief B.S. Names like Dhanoa, former SEBI chairman M. Damodaran and famous lawyer Pallavi Shroff are included. Despite this, the company failed to foresee the coming crisis.
Experts are surprised that despite the presence of so many experienced people, why no concrete preparations were made regarding the shortage of pilots and new rules (FDTL)? When the crisis deepened and the media asked questions of these veterans, most of them remained silent. Amitabh Kant shrugged it off by saying that he had joined the board only recently.
Ignoring the rules or a deliberate mistake?
The main reason for the current crisis is the new FDTL rules related to duty time and rest of pilots. DGCA had notified these rules in January 2024 itself. This means Indigo had enough time to prepare. In the order dated December 5, DGCA clearly stated that they had repeatedly warned IndiGo.
What is surprising is why the company’s risk management committee, which included retired air marshals and former bureaucrats, did not hear this alarm bell? There was no mention of challenges to these rules even in the company’s annual reports. On paper it was claimed that they were ready for every rule, but the ground reality exposed these claims. This negligence is now taking a heavy toll on the passengers.
CEO under question
In this entire incident, Indigo CEO Peter Albers The role of is also under question. Experts believe that the CEO works on the instructions of the board, hence the board cannot shirk its responsibility. On the other hand, the anger of the passengers at the airports is at its peak. In the video going viral on social media, people are seen arguing with the staff. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the government has formed a four-member committee to investigate, which will submit the report in 15 days. DGCA has also taken a strict stance and sought a reply.
Who started Indigo?
story of indigo Started in 2005 with a dream. Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal founded it together. The objective was clear, an airline that would deliver passengers on time without any hassle. But with time the relationship between the two founders became sour. Gangwal raised questions about the company’s functioning, transparency and Bhatia’s control. The matter reached from SEBI to London Court.
Rahul Bhatia
Ultimately, Gangwal left the board in 2022. Along with leaving the board, he had talked about selling his stake in the market. After this he gradually started selling his stake. In such a situation, at present the owner of Indigo is Rahul Bhatia. Let us tell you that today IndiGo is the largest company in the domestic airline market, with more than 62% share, more than 2,100 flights fly daily and more than 39,000 people work in the company.
Also read- Why did the Indigo crisis arise? The pilots clearly explained the reason