After days of major flying problems that left thousands of people stuck all over the country, K. Rammohan Naidu, India’s Civil Aviation Minister, has harshly spoken out against IndiGo. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he said the situation was caused by “mismanagement” in the company and promised that the government would take “very, very strict action” when the investigation is over.
What Started the Crisis?
IndiGo, the airline with the most market share in India, had more cancellations and delays than ever before last week. Hundreds of cancelled flights and dozens more with long delays caused major cities’ hubs to be filled with angry travellers. Videos of long lines, angry travellers, and tired families waiting all night filled social media.
According to sources, the disruption was caused by an operational breakdown, mostly due to not having enough crew members and making mistakes with the schedule. The minister thinks the main problem is bad planning within the company, not things that couldn’t be helped, even though IndiGo called it a “combination of factors.”
The Aviation Minister’s Tough Take
During the parliamentary session, Naidu made it clear that accountability cannot be weakened, especially when an airline moves millions of people every month. He stressed that the government will not hesitate to apply heavy penalties if the investigation shows that IndiGo did something wrong.
Under current aviation rules, officials who are careless and affect passenger safety and operations could go to jail for up to three years or be fined up to ₹1 crore. The minister also said that planes must be disciplined, honest, and ready for anything, and this case will be used to show why.
Why the Government Is Worried
Besides the immediate problems, the situation has brought back talks about India’s aviation sector, which is mostly controlled by a few companies. IndiGo controls a large part of domestic travel, so any big problem with the airline’s operations will affect the whole country.
Naidu said that India needs stronger and trustworthy companies so that it doesn’t have to rely on just one company. He said that a varied market makes things more resilient and saves passengers from big breakdowns.
Is the Indigo Monopoly About to End?
A thorough investigation is going on, and the DGCA is already asking IndiGo for explanations. Until then, the airline has been asked by the regulator to reduce its flights by 5% until it can stabilise its crew and schedule.
The government has told people that steps will be taken right away to fix the problem. IndiGo is under a lot of scrutiny and may face the toughest rules in its history as the probe continues.
