'I Feel The Pain Of Customers': IndiGo CEO Confident Of Strong Recovery From Week-Long Crisis

As IndiGo’s operational chaos and nationwide disruption entered Day Six on Sunday, CEO Pieter Elbers expressed regret over the delays and cancellations. He said the situation has begun to improve, noting

that the number of cancellations has come down and customers are now being informed about disruptions well in advance.

In a letter to IndiGo employees, Elbers said: “…I am standing here at IndiGo’s Operations Control Centre…Once again, my sincerest appreciation for the great work each and every one of you is doing.”

He said: “In my earlier messages, I conveyed we would be rebooting the system Friday, take a significant number of cancellations and start afresh Saturday. That has worked well, by operating some 1500 flights yesterday, as compared to only 700-ish on Friday. Also, we have been able to execute the cancellations at an earlier stage, so customers don’t show up at the airports in case their flights are canceled. It gives us all confidence that we are getting back.”

“Today we realize further improvements of system to reach around 1650 flights. A better OTP, less cancelations and importantly customers are being notified in advance. Today’s OTP is projected around 75%, significantly up from 30% yesterday. Our network coverage has been restored with 137 (out 138) stations operated. Also for our customers, all processes around Refunds, Luggage, Rebooking, etc. are in full swing and we are actually reducing the backlog as we go forward,” it said.

“All of us, and I personally, feel the pain of our customers, are deeply apologetic and addressing their needs, which is and will remain our topmost priority,” he added.

Previously, an unverified “open letter” from IndiGo pilots went viral on social media blaming the top management, including the CEO, for the “downfall” of India’s foremost airline.

Addressed to “fellow citizens” and the “management of IndiGo”, the letter asked the airline to “look within” and names at least eight officials, including CEO Pieter Elbers, for causing the massive operational failure leading to a chaotic situation at major airports across the country over the past week.

Claiming to be an “insider”, who chooses to remain anonymous, the letter stated that all IndiGo employees saw the crisis coming as it was “years in the making” and the airline “didn’t collapse in a day”.

“Open Letter to My Fellow Citizens, and to the Management of IndiGo, I am writing this not as a spokesperson, not as someone hiding behind corporate language, but as an IndiGo employee who has lived through every shift, every sleepless night, every humiliation, every squeezed pay cheque, and every impossible roster,” states the letter posted on X.

The letter highlighted how IndiGo’s current operational failures stem from a systemic erosion of its core values over many years, listing arrogant management, promotion of unqualified executives, and a toxic work culture where employee warnings about safety and fatigue were met with intimidation, as the major reasons. It also alleged severe exploitation and exhaustion faced by the workforce, including ground staff, pilots, and engineers. It adds that workers were critically overworked due to inadequate staffing and the removal of benefits, often without fair compensation.

Earlier, the DGCA formally issued a show-cause notice to Elbers, holding the airline accountable for large-scale operational disruptions in recent days and pointing to “significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management”. In the notice on Saturday (December 6), it demanded that the CEO provide an explanation for the week-long crisis. It stated that Elbers must respond within 24 hours to explain why enforcement action should not be initiated against the carrier, while failure to reply will allow the regulator to decide the matter ex parte.