IndiGo has been ranked among the "world's worst airlines" in the 2024 AirHelp Score report, securing 103rd place out of 109 with a score of 4.80. This low rating is attributed to poor customer satisfaction and inadequate management of flight disruption claims. In response to the ranking, IndiGo criticized the methodology, stating that the survey does not reveal the sample size from India, "casting doubt on the survey's credibility."
The survey, conducted by AirHelp, a claim processing agency based in the EU, assesses airlines worldwide based on punctuality, service quality, and compensation claim handling. These factors are equally weighted to determine the overall score. The analysis includes data from January to October, considering on-time performance, the processing of customer claims, and passenger feedback from 54 countries regarding food, comfort, and service.
IndiGo is India's largest airline with a domestic market share of over 60 per cent. It is also among the top airlines globally by passenger volumes. In 2023, it flew over 100 million passengers across its domestic and international network.
According to DGCA data, IndiGo has one of the lowest ratios of passenger complaints to passengers transported. In the DGCA's October air traffic report, IndiGo recorded 0.2 complaints per 10,000 passengers carried. The data also reveals that Vistara, now merged with Air India, was the only airline to have a better performance than IndiGo in terms of passenger complaints in October.
The DGCA monthly traffic report also mentions on-time performance of airlines for four metropolitan airports - Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. In the October report, IndiGo was at the top of the list with an on-time performance score of 71.9 per cent.
Bloomberg quoted AirHelp CEO Tomasz Pawliszyn, who stated that the rankings are designed to "encourage airlines to consistently consider passenger feedback," offering a snapshot of airline performance. Brussels Airlines led the list with a score of 8.12, followed closely by Qatar Airways (8.11) and United Airlines (8.04). Air India, the only other Indian airline included, ranked 61st with a score of 6.15.
Tunisair ranked at the bottom, in 109th place, as the report highlighted the extremes of air travel this year.
Indigo's Reaction
On Wednesday, IndiGo rejected the survey that ranked it among the world's worst airlines, asserting that it has consistently excelled in punctuality. The airline criticized the survey for its methodology and lack of transparency.
In its statement, IndiGo highlighted that the survey did not reveal the sample size from India nor account for the compensation policies and practices followed by the global aviation industry, "raising questions about its credibility."
"As India's most preferred airline, IndiGo refutes the findings of this survey and reiterates its promise of on-time, affordable, courteous and hassle-free travel experience for its customers," the airline added.
According to the survey the Top 10 airlines in the world are as follows:
- Brussels Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- United Airlines
- American Airlines
- Play (Iceland)
- Austrian Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Air Arabia
- Widerøe
- Air Serbia
Bottom 10 airlines in the world:
100. Sky Express
101. Air Mauritius
102. Tarom
103. IndiGo
104. Pegasus Airlines
105. El Al Israel Airlines
106. Bulgaria Air
107. Nouvelair
108. Buzz
109. Tunisair
