Passengers faced ‘mental harassment’, accountability will be fixed: Murlidhar Mohol on IndiGo crisis

Pune: Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Sunday said that passengers have endured mental harassment and distress due to IndiGo's ongoing operational crisis and assured that steps are being taken to ensure accountability is fixed.

IndiGo has cancelled more than 2,000 flights and delayed others, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at several airports around the country since Tuesday.

The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has constituted a four-member inquiry panel to determine reasons for the current situation and recommend mitigation measures, and has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers.

Talking to reporters here, Mohol said, "All passengers have suffered mental distress and have had to face many difficulties. They had to endure mental harassment because of IndiGo." Action will be taken after the four-member committee submits its report, he said, adding that accountability will be fixed, and nobody will be spared.

"Certain responsibilities that IndiGo was expected to carry out were not fulfilled, and this is what led to the present situation. The DGCA has formed an inquiry committee and set up a control room. It has also issued a notice to IndiGo. Limits on ticket sales have been imposed on all airline companies," he said.

Mohol said that instructions have been given to ensure all passengers whose flights were cancelled are refunded.