And for a Friday …… as India’s largest Domestic Airline struggles to some state of normalcy ……: some thoughts …. some musings……
Indigo …. carrried the Tag line …. On time Every time ….. so what if the schedule had a planned cushion of 10 minutes ….. the flyers were happy to reach their destinations on or before time …..never mind all other shortcomings …..like the thousands of passengers who travelled on the fateful days in early December me & my wife were also booked on Trivandrum-Bangalore flt. & experienced the agonising pain of a complete lack of reliable information ….. breakdown of customer communication …. … airports choked ….. mobile lines clogged …. & websites crashed …. What next?? … how ??Who ??……. Every air traveller has a cause .. urgency & desperation ….medical emergency patients … visa/ job interviews ….weddings …mega- events ….. other appointments ….the largest airline in India operating more than 2200 flights to more that 122 destinations daily …. was in total disarray & all systems broken down …….speculations …. rumours …. allegations …. & weird solutions …..absurd TV debates notwithstanding ….
This crisis has opened up many opportunities to reexamine the basic framework of Indian aviation policy ….. the role of DGCA as Regulator ….. Competition Commission ……on reasons for a 65% market share ….. aviation fuel pricing & taxation…. all Capital costs & maintenance in Dollars & revenue in depreciating rupees ……. How will new players be ever attracted to invest in India …..most importantly a pseudo-socialist “ Indian Mindset “ against Corporate India & private Capital …… this has to change into a more liberal open approach to Private sector , Corporate Professionals & Risk Capital ……Current Indigo Board members are some of the finest & most respected personalities ….. I have personally known few of them for many years ……so after listening to the Chairman Vikram Mehta today ….. I am reassured …. I trust him when he states …..that Indigo did not engineer the crisis, did not try to influence govt. rules & the Board & RMC was aware of the FDTL rules & never compromised on Safety……:the Board constituted a CMG ( Crisis Management Group ) & was on day to day monitoring to restore normalcy before offering an unconditional apology & owning up to having let Indigo passengers down.
How compensation is paid … what actions follow … whose heads will roll …. Whatever happens … …. The Indigo brand will never be the same ….. let us all hope remedial actions are taken the quickest way …. the most equitable way …. the SEEGOS way.