Passenger assaulting pilot unacceptable, says IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers

IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers on Thursday referred to a recent incident of a passenger assaulting one of its pilots, calling it is "unacceptable", and said the airline's operations are back to normal as flight cancellations over fog-related disruptions in northern India in recent days have come down.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said the airline industry witnessed probably the worst fog in many many years, impacting flight operations, which has become a challenge.

We all have seen some of the situations which did not go well. We have seen some of the examples. Passengers were stressed and frustrated after long waiting hours. But I would like to call out the incredible amount of work my colleagues have done in going beyond their normal call of duty... he said.

A passenger on an IndiGo flight was arrested after he assaulted a pilot when he was making an announcement regarding a delay in takeoff at Delhi airport, police said on Monday.

A purported video of the incident that took place Sunday surfaced on social media and showed passenger Sahil Katariya hitting the pilot who was making the announcement inside the aircraft, which was bound for Goa.

That is unacceptable. I have nothing else to say. It is with the authorities now. I would like to leave it now for it is in the hands of authorities, Elbers said.

According to him, IndiGo operates around 400 domestic routes but that is still very less compared to the size of the country.

Meanwhile, IndiGo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CAE Simulation Training Private Limited (CSTPL) to provide Flight Crew Training for its fleet of ATR aircraft.

Under this agreement, CSTPL will install a Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for ATR aircraft and provide exclusive simulator training facilities for IndiGo's ATR pilots in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The airline also announced daily direct flights between Hyderabad and Bangkok, effective from February 26, 2024.