IndiGo has cancelled thousands of flights since last week, after being unable to adequately prepare for stricter fatigue-duty time limits for pilots. While cancellations peaked on 5 December and the airline said operations stabilised on Tuesday, nearly 220 flights were still cancelled on Wednesday across major hubs, including Delhi and Mumbai.

“We did not meet your expectations… we are truly sorry,” Mehta said, adding that while some criticism has been unfair, the core complaint—that the airline failed its passengers—was justified.

He rejected allegations that the airline engineered the crisis or compromised safety to avoid pilot fatigue rules. “We operated under the new FDTL rules in July and November. We did not bypass them,” he said.

According to Mehta, the disruption was not deliberate but the result of several internal and external factors coinciding: minor technical issues, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system-wide congestion and the implementation of updated crew rostering norms. Although other carriers faced the same external pressures, their operations remained largely stable, he noted, adding, “This combination of events pushed our systems beyond their limits.”

Mehta said the board and its risk management committee have been monitoring the issue for months and that a crisis management team has met daily. “The company has erred. There is no denying this,” he admitted.

Meanwhile, aviation regulator DGCA has formed an oversight team in view of the widespread passenger inconvenience. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has been summoned to appear before the regulator on Thursday with a full report, complete data and updates on the disruptions.