New Delhi:
In what will be music to the ears of passengers hit hard by the IndiGo disruptions, the Centre has said flight schedules are expected to stabilise by Saturday and a return to normalcy is likely to be achieved within three days, which would be Monday.
Issuing a statement on Friday, when cancellations by IndiGo crossed a record 500 flights for the second day running, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also said a high-level inquiry will be ordered and accountability will be fixed. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced, within minutes of the statement, that a four-member committee has been set up to inquire into the circumstances that led to the delays and cancellations.
Justifying the suspension of certain provisions of the Flight Duty Time Limitations, aimed at ensuring pilots and crew get adequate rest, Naidu said this was done in the interest of passengers and safety will not be compromised.
“In addition to this, several operational measures have been directed to ensure that normal airline services are restored at the earliest and that the inconvenience caused to travellers is significantly reduced. Based on the immediate implementation of these directives, we expect that flight schedules will begin to stabilise and return to normal by tomorrow. We anticipate that complete restoration of services will be achieved within the next three days,” the minister said.
Addressing how passengers will be helped, Naidu said airlines have been instructed to provide regular and accurate updates so that real-time flight status can be known before flyers leave their homes. Refunds for cancelled flights, he stressed, will be issued automatically, without passengers having to follow up, and hotel accommodation will be arranged by airlines for flyers stranded for long durations.
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