Justice will prevail, no one in future will be allowed to hold public to ransom: Expert on CCI probe into IndiGo

New Delhi [India], December 18 : Aviation expert Subhash Goyal on Thursday welcomed the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) decision to investigate IndiGo over recent flight disruptions. According to Goyal, the CCI has taken cognisance of various cases filed against IndiGo and is looking into the matter.
"The CCI has issued a press note stating that they have taken cognisance of the various cases filed against IndiGo and are investigating the matter," Goyal told ANI.
He emphasised that aviation, just like railways, is an essential service for the country. Goyal noted that the lifeline has been disrupted due to the government's failure to implement the new crew rest policy.
Goyal expressed faith in the CCI and the judiciary, saying, "The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued a press note that they have taken cognisance of the various cases that have been filed against IndiGo and they are looking into the matter...Aviation, like railways, is an essential service for the country. It's a lifeline, and that lifeline has been disrupted just because they haven't implemented the new crew rest policy the government was bringing in...We have full faith in the Competition Commission and the High Court of Delhi, as well as in other High Courts, that justice will prevail, and that no one in the future will be allowed to hold the public to ransom."."
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has decided to launch an inquiry into flight disruptions at IndiGo, taking cognisance of the information filed against the airline.
The flight disruptions earlier this month due to IndiGo's operational crisis caused massive inconvenience to people.
"The Competition Commission of India has taken cognisance of Information filed against IndiGo in the context of the recent flight disruptions witnessed in the aviation sector, across various routes," a CCI press release said.
"Based on the initial assessment, the Commission has decided to proceed further in the matter in accordance with the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002," it added.
Earlier on Thursday, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers had told employees that the airline has emerged stronger after a challenging period, saying "the worst is behind us as operations stabilised and the carrier restored its network to 2,200 flights".
In an internal message, Elbers praised employees across functions for standing united during recent disruptions.
"Dear IndiGo colleagues, through the storm, we are finding our wings again. The worst is behind us. These last two weeks have been very challenging for all of us," he said, thanking pilots, cabin crew, airport staff, operations control and customer service teams for their support.
Referring to steps taken since December 9, Elbers said IndiGo had stabilised operations and rapidly rebuilt capacity. "After that, we restored our network to 2200 flights today. Given our scale and complexity, recovering from such a situation in a short time is a testament to our teamwork and the strength of our operating principles," he said.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had earlier this month taken rapid and decisive steps to address the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis and to ensure that passengers do not face continued inconvenience.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu had told Parliament that IndiGo's operational crisis was related to crew rostering and internal operational planning, which the airline is responsible for managing on a day-to-day basis
He added that thorough consultations have been held with all stakeholders concerning Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) guidelines, and emphasised that there will be no compromise on safety.
"If there is non-adherence by any operator, we will take very strict action," he had said.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had taken a slew of measures in the wake of difficulties faced by passengers due to IndiGo crisis, including on airfare regulation to prevent overcharging, passenger refunds and rescheduling support. It had also issued directions to the airline concerning baggage reconciliation and delivery.
Delhi High Court on Wednesday disposed of a fresh public interest litigation (PIL) filed against IndiGo Airlines over mass flight cancellations and passenger hardship, holding that the issues raised are already under consideration in an earlier pending writ petition before the Court.