Rahul Gandhi: IndiGo Disruptions Expose Monopoly Costs
Rahul Gandhi: IndiGo Disruptions Expose Monopoly Costs
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi ties IndiGo chaos to a monopoly model, saying ordinary Indians bear the brunt as flights are canceled and norms are rewritten.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday tied IndiGo's widespread flight cancellations to what he described as a government's 'monopoly model,' arguing that ordinary Indians are paying the price in delays and cancellations. He pointed to reports that IndiGo canceled more than 550 flights on Thursday and about 400 on Friday as evidence that the aviation sector has been oversmartered by monopolistic control and a lack of competitive pressure. He urged India to embrace fair competition in every sector rather than what's called match-fixing monopolies. The remarks come as the country grapples with travel disruptions affecting hundreds of travellers who had planned trips during the busy travel week.
IndiGo told the DGCA that operations are expected to stabilise by February 10, 2026, and sought temporary relaxations in flight duty norms in light of ongoing disruptions. The airline also noted there will be more cancellations through December 8 and a reduction in services from that day as it implements the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations norms. The misjudgment in planning for the new norms has been cited by the airline's leadership as a contributing factor to the current peak of cancellations.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu held a high-level review meeting to assess the situation and publicly expressed displeasure at how IndiGo handled the rollout of FDTL norms, despite having weeks to prepare. The broader debate over industry structure has been amplified by a pilots' body alleging a hiring freeze at IndiGo and calling on the DGCA to reallocate slots if commitments to passengers remain unmet due to avoidable shortages.
In a security-related development, a Madinah-Hyderabad IndiGo flight was diverted to Ahmedabad after a bomb threat email, underscoring the multifaceted pressures on the carrier's operations. The combination of crew shortages, regulatory changes, and security threats is testing the airline's crisis management. At Bengaluru's airport, disruptions have been pronounced with hundreds of cancellations continuing into the fourth day, illustrating the ripple effects of the ongoing chaos.
Cover image source: IndiGo Madinah-Hyderabad delayed flight diverted to Ahmedabad following bomb threat 🔗
