Govt draws hard line on IndiGo as aviation crisis exposes monopoly risks

Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu issued a stern warning to IndiGo over its continuing operational disruption, declaring in Parliament that the revised pilot duty norms will not be rolled back and that no airline — regardless of size — will be allowed to inconvenience travellers.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha amid opposition slogans, Naidu said IndiGo’s operations were stabilising but stressed that compliance and accountability were essential. “No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardship to passengers through planning failures, non-compliance or non-adherence to statutory provisions,” he said.

The disruptions have stretched into a second week, with nearly 500 flights cancelled on December 9 — fewer than last week, but still impacting thousands. As chaos unfolded at airports, the DGCA issued IndiGo a temporary exemption from new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules to ease strain on pilot rosters.

The decision, however, drew criticism from industry experts who argued that the government had capitulated under pressure from an airline that controls roughly two-thirds of India’s domestic traffic.

Naidu said refunds, baggage recovery and passenger support were being monitored closely by the ministry. IndiGo has reportedly processed ₹750 crore in refunds so far.

The minister also signalled a broader shift in the sector, saying the crisis underscored the danger of market concentration. While IndiGo holds 65% domestic market share, Air India follows at 27%.

“The government is determined to build a robust and competitive aviation ecosystem. Safety in civil aviation remains completely non-negotiable,” he said.

IndiGo, which has been ordered to reduce flight schedules by 5%, attributed the chaos to technical issues, winter scheduling changes, adverse weather, system congestion and challenges in adapting to the new FDTL regulations.