New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that it has issued warnings to senior officials of IndiGo, including its chief operating officer and director, and ordered dismissal of a senior vice president over the operational disruptions that have left passengers stranded at airports across the country.
The court also asked the airline to clarify whether the passengers being offered ₹10,000 vouchers will be allowed to be redeemed after the validity period is over.
Representing the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and lawyer Anjana Gosain submitted before a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tejas Karia that a four-member committee had examined the issue.
The committee concluded that the crisis arose from “over-optimization of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness, deficiencies in system software support, and deficiencies in the management structure.” As a result, the regulator imposed a ₹A fine of Rs 22.2 crore on the airline.
The law officer, who submitted the committee report in a sealed cover, said the regulator had also issued a warning to the deputy (head of flight operations) and the resource planning analyst and asked the airline to submit. ₹Rs 50 crore, in the form of bank guarantee, will be returned whenever the airline makes necessary improvements in its operations.
During the hearing, IndiGo’s counsel said the airline has started processing 100% refunds for canceled tickets and issuing ‘gesture of care’ travel vouchers. ₹₹10,000, valid for 12 months and can be redeemed on any IndiGo flight.
“On a question, counsel for IndiGo submitted that refund of canceled tickets has already been made. However, the process to pay compensation to stranded passengers along with compensation for canceled tickets is being worked out and the same will also be paid as soon as possible. An affidavit to the said effect be filed by IndiGo within two weeks,” the court said in its order.
The next hearing of the case will be on 25 February.
