Aviation Minister vows strict action as IndiGo crisis deepens.
Ram Mohan Naidu noted the new FDTL rules began December 3, with airlines already operating smoothly under them for a month.
Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday, December 8, made it clear that the central government is treating the massive IndiGo flight disruption with the utmost seriousness. Addressing the media and Parliament after a week of widespread chaos, Naidu said that a formal inquiry had already been launched and promised that strict action would follow. His remarks came after hundreds of IndiGo flights were cancelled over the past several days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country.
According to reports, the situation reached a peak on Monday when IndiGo — India’s largest airline and controlled by promoter Rahul Bhatia — cancelled 562 flights across six metro airports. Bengaluru alone accounted for around 150 of those cancellations, making it the hardest-hit airport. The scale of disruption has affected lakhs of passengers nationwide, with long queues, mounting frustration, and countless missed connections. Though the airline’s on-time performance slightly improved to nearly 80 percent a day earlier, normalcy remains far off.
Speaking firmly, Naidu said the government was not willing to brush aside the airline’s operational failure. “We are not taking this lightly. We are conducting an inquiry and we will take very strict action. We will set an example for all airlines,” he declared. The Minister stressed that while regulatory changes may have posed challenges, IndiGo had a clear responsibility to manage its crew schedules and rostering appropriately.
He pointed out that airlines were fully aware of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms and had been given ample time to adjust. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), he added, had been in “continuous consultation” with all carriers, including IndiGo, well before the crisis erupted. The government’s intention was to improve safety and reduce fatigue among pilots — a long-standing concern in the aviation sector.
Naidu also revealed that the government had decided to take a hard stance on IndiGo’s winter schedule. Due to the airline’s repeated failure to stabilise operations, the Ministry would curtail IndiGo’s winter routes and reallocate those slots to other operators. “They are currently operating around 2,200 flights. The move is significant, given IndiGo’s market dominance and its crucial role in domestic connectivity.
The updated FDTL rules — introduced by the DGCA in January 2024 — were designed with safety in mind. They include longer mandatory rest periods, tighter restrictions on night flying, and limits on consecutive night duties. Under the new norms, weekly rest has been raised from 36 to 48 hours, and “night” has been redefined as the period between midnight and 6 a.m. Additionally, the permissible number of night landings has been cut from six to two. These regulations aim to reduce fatigue-related risks and improve pilot alertness.
Although some airlines initially expressed concerns about manpower and scheduling challenges, Naidu said the rules had already been in place for a month. He emphasised that the government had monitored operations closely during that period to ensure smooth transition. “The new FDTL rules were in effect from December 3, and there was one full month of operations under them. We had a meeting with IndiGo specifically on FDTL. We gave clarifications. Even if the rules are tougher, the airline still had to manage its crew and roster through day-to-day operations,” he said.
The Minister’s comments reflect growing frustration within the government, especially as passengers continue to face last-minute cancellations, unresolved refunds, and delays. With IndiGo operating nearly 60 percent of domestic flights, operational mismanagement of this scale has significant nationwide impact.
Passengers at several airports have described scenes of confusion — long lines at service counters, delayed alerts on cancellations, and a lack of clarity on rebooking. Social media platforms have been flooded with videos of irate travellers demanding answers. Many families, students, and business travellers had their plans derailed during what is one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Naidu reassured the public that the DGCA is actively monitoring refund practices to ensure passengers are not left out of pocket. He also made it clear that airlines must follow the rules without excuses. The crisis, he said, was a wake-up call for the entire aviation sector to strengthen internal processes, especially around rostering, manpower planning, and communication.
As the inquiry moves forward, the government is expected to evaluate whether regulatory breaches occurred and whether IndiGo adequately prepared for the transition to stricter FDTL norms. Any findings could have broader implications for the aviation industry, which has been expanding rapidly post-pandemic but continues to face staffing and operational pressures.
For now, the message from the Aviation Ministry is unmistakable: passenger inconvenience will not be ignored, safety rules will not be diluted, and airlines — no matter how large — will be held accountable.