'Don’t let arrogance...': Ace investor Vijay Kedia cautions Indigo as delays and rude staff frustrate flyers

Ace investor Vijay Kedia in a post on X slammed Indigo Airlines for slipping on customer service and reliability.

“Earlier, Indigo was always my first choice. Now, it’s my last,” Kedia wrote, pointing to frequent flight delays and rude behavior from staff at check-in counters.

"The two main areas of dissatisfaction are frequent delays and poor customer service, especially at the check-in counters, where staff behavior is often rude. Passengers deserve better, and your team’s conduct directly impacts the brand’s reputation".

His warning? If things don’t improve fast, passengers will start choosing other airlines, and Indigo’s dominance could fade.

Indigo, currently holding a 62% share of India’s domestic aviation market, has long been a dominant player. However, the airline now faces stiff competition from a resurgent Air India and a slew of other carriers looking to make a comeback.

Kedia warned that Indigo’s arrogance could be its undoing, stating, “If these issues aren’t addressed, people will shift to other options.” He underscored that customer service directly impacts a brand’s reputation and urged the airline to rectify these problems before it’s too late.

Indigo had recently experienced a technical glitch.

The airline’s website and booking system suffered disruptions, leaving passengers stranded with slow check-ins and long queues at airports. Frustrated travelers flooded social media with complaints, with one user likening the scene at a busy Indigo counter to a "railway station." Indigo quickly issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience and assured customers that its teams were working hard to restore normalcy.

InterGlobe Aviation, the parent company of Indigo, hasn’t been immune to the turbulence. On October 4, 2024, the company’s shares fell by 2.28% to Rs 4,609.35.

The stock, which has traded between a 52-week high of Rs 5,033.20 and a low of Rs 2,378.05, has a market capitalization of Rs 179,414.94 crore. Despite the recent slide, analysts remain cautiously optimistic, setting a one-year target price of Rs 5,037, reflecting potential returns of 9.28%.