Indigo Crisis: Rahul Gandhi Reacts, Slams Government Over Airline Flight Cancellations

New Delhi: Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi has broken his silence on the ongoing crisis at Indigo Airlines, India’s largest carrier, which has seen hundreds of domestic and international flights canceled over the past few days. Reacting to the disruption on social media platform X, Gandhi sharply criticized the central government, alleging that Indigo’s operational failures are a direct result of the government’s “monopoly model.”

Over 550 flights were canceled in the past few days, causing major inconvenience to thousands of passengers due to delays and abrupt cancellations.

Gandhi’s Statement on the Crisis
In his post, Rahul Gandhi wrote:
“Indigo’s failure is the outcome of this government’s monopoly model. Once again, the cost is borne by ordinary Indians in the form of delayed flights, cancellations, and helplessness. India deserves fair competition in every sector, not monopoly and ‘match-fixing’.”

He further argued that citizens and businesses across India have the right to a level playing field, emphasizing that monopolistic practices harm the economy and consumer welfare.

Why Indigo Flights Were Canceled
The airline has been facing a significant shortage of crew members recently, triggered by the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules. Under these regulations, weekly rest periods for pilots have been increased, and night landing slots have been restricted to strengthen flight safety. The sudden operational changes have strained the airline’s staffing capacity, resulting in flight cancellations.

Government Response
The crisis has drawn the attention of the Civil Aviation Ministry, which is treating the matter with utmost seriousness. Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu chaired a high-level review meeting with senior officials and Indigo management, expressing strong displeasure and issuing strict instructions to resolve the disruptions. The government aims to ensure that flights resume normal operations promptly and passengers face minimal inconvenience.

Rahul Gandhi’s criticism highlights growing political pressure on the government amid widespread public frustration over travel disruptions and questions about airline regulation and oversight.