New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, while addressing the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, said that IndiGo’s flight operations are now stabilising, and the government is working to fix accountability for the large-scale disruptions that have stranded passengers across the country for over a week.
Addressing the House, Naidu said strict action would follow once the ongoing investigation is completed. “The disruption caused by IndiGo’s recent operational failures is now rapidly stabilising. Accountability will be ensured,” he said, adding that no airline, regardless of its size, would be allowed to mistreat passengers through poor planning or non-compliance with statutory provisions.
The minister reaffirmed that aviation safety remains “completely non-negotiable” and stressed that the government would enforce all safety norms without dilution. IndiGo, he said, has been asked to restructure its capacity and ensure full compliance with regulations before scaling up operations.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo’s senior leadership and initiated a detailed enforcement investigation. Depending on its outcome, action will be taken under the Aircraft Act and relevant rules, Naidu told the House.
Over 4,500 cancellations, winter schedule to be cut
IndiGo, India’s largest domestic carrier with a 65 percent market share, operates around 2,200 flights a day during the winter schedule. However, amid continuing cancellations, the government has decided to curtail the airline’s winter operations and reassign routes to other operators. While an official number is yet to be confirmed, officials indicated that at least 100 flights a day could be pulled back.
More than 4,500 IndiGo flights have been cancelled since December 2, with fresh cancellations continuing on Tuesday. Bengaluru has been the worst affected, followed by Hyderabad and Chennai.
The disruptions have been attributed to IndiGo’s failure to implement the second phase of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations that came into effect in November, aimed at reducing pilot fatigue, amid reported crew shortages. While the DGCA has temporarily relaxed some roster norms to ease pressure, pilots’ bodies have raised safety concerns over the exemptions.
Senior aviation ministry officers have also been deployed for on-ground inspections at major airports as monitoring continues.
