By Kavita Mistry 
IndiGo’s operational disruption entered its third day on Friday, with more than 600 flights cancelled at major airports across India. This follows over 550 cancellations the previous day, causing widespread travel issues for passengers. Lawmakers from various parties voiced strong criticism against IndiGo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), drawing attention to passenger inconvenience and the need for urgent action.
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram has termed the current IndiGo situation as a national crises. In a strong worded post on X he said that the government should make a statement on the floor of Parliament explaining what has led to this crisis and what the government is doing to solve it, as it affects passengers all over the country.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, posting on X, said, “If DGCA and MoCA cannot enforce passenger safety, passenger rights, airfares, airline safety, crew schedules followed as per rules then might as well shut down the ministry!” Her statement reflected broader concerns about regulatory oversight as delays and cancellations mounted.
Chaturvedi further said, “I have submitted a calling attention. I was hoping that the civil aviation minister would give information in Parliament yesterday, but that did not happen. He held a meeting late in the night and issued some directives, but what is the point if so many flights are still being cancelled? I have just learned that IndiGo has cancelled all its departures from Delhi Airport till 3 pm… DGCA has put aside the passengers and is catering to the airline instead of regulating it… If you are not responsible for rising airfares and passenger grievances then shut down the Civil Aviation Ministry.”
TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu demanded strict measures against IndiGo, expressing frustration over the dominance of two major airlines. He said, “I’ve been talking about this duopoly for a long time, where only two airlines have been operating and IndiGo has emerged as the main culprit. They were given the rule change as early as June–July and had ample time to adjust to the new DGCA guidelines. Instead of hiring new pilots and crew in advance, they waited until the last minute and rushed through the process in the final week, putting lakhs of passengers under stress. The fault clearly lies with IndiGo, and they now need to buckle up, come clean, and ensure that no further inconvenience is caused to passengers.”
Other political leaders raised concerns about the cancellations and the lack of government response. Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi said, “More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled but government is sleeping; monopoly between two airlines is causing this disruption.”
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra commented, “Throughout the country, most things belong to only a few people; this is the doing of this government. This is not healthy for democracy, economy and the country.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai highlighted issues with passenger refunds and infrastructure, stating, “There may be some reasons, including the smog… If our infrastructure isn’t perfect, the government is also responsible for it, and the passengers have to bear the full brunt of the consequences. If you go to cancel your ticket, it’s reduced to zero under ‘no-show’ rules. If passengers try to cancel, they face hefty cancellation charges. Now, if cancellation charges are levied 48 hours in advance, they won’t be deducted. But that hasn’t been implemented yet. This creates problems for passengers… Air travel has become incredibly important. It’s no longer a luxury; it’s become a necessity… I urge the government to raise this issue in Parliament…”
In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari raised the issue during Zero Hour. He said, “Millions of passengers in India have faced travel disruptions due to the cancellation of over 500 IndiGo flights. This matter directly concerns the House. Since many members don’t have sittings on Saturdays and Sundays, they travel to their councils to fulfil their responsibilities. At a time when everyone has reservations and needs to travel, these flights are being postponed indefinitely and then cancelled.”
IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has attributed the disruptions to a shortage of pilots combined with winter schedule pressures. The airline has requested partial relaxation of the newly introduced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, stating that full implementation of these guidelines is only expected by February 2026. This operational challenge, coupled with regulatory changes, has contributed to the ongoing cancellations and travel delays.
– Ends
with agency inputs
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