‘Monopoly model’ fury: Rahul Gandhi hits out as IndiGo cancellations cripple air travel

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Central government over IndiGo’s widespread operational disruptions and flight cancellations, arguing that the situation reflects what he described as the Centre’s “monopoly model”.

In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition said ordinary passengers were suffering through delays, cancellations and uncertainty, and called for fair competition in the aviation sector.

IndiGo has experienced a sharp rise in cancellations, with around 170–200 flights being grounded daily—significantly higher than normal levels. The extensive disruption has raised concerns about passenger inconvenience and operational safety.

The matter has triggered a political row, with the Opposition preparing to raise it in Parliament. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has submitted a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, urging Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to make a statement on the crisis. She highlighted delays of up to seven hours and more than 70 cancellations on Wednesday alone across major airports including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, attributing the problems to a severe crew shortage and other operational gaps. She said thousands of passengers had been stranded nationwide and argued that immediate government intervention was necessary to ensure accountability and prevent further large-scale disruptions.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has stated that IndiGo has sought temporary exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) requirements for its A320 fleet until 10 February 2026. According to the regulator, the airline’s operational breakdowns stem from transitional challenges linked to Phase 2 of the revised fatigue-management norms, combined with crew-planning issues and winter-season constraints. The updated FDTL framework, implemented in two stages in July and November 2025 following court directions, has placed additional pressure on operational planning.

IndiGo has told the DGCA that it expects to restore full operational stability by February 2026.