New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday attributed the widespread disruption in IndiGo’s operations to the airline’s mismanagement of its crew under the new flight duty time limitation (FDTL) regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The operational chaos led to severe delays and congestion at major airports across the country.

Speaking to the media, Naidu said the events unfolding at airports prompted the Civil Aviation Ministry to grant IndiGo a temporary abeyance from FDTL norms in order to restore normalcy.

He said, "From November 1, the DGCA came up with new FDTL (flight duty time limitation) regulations. The Ministry also initiated a continuous engagement process with the airlines for at least 6 months. Previously, there was no issue regarding the new FDTL norm. Other airlines, including Air India and Spice Jet, have adjusted. However, what has unfolded is due to mismanagement by IndiGo regarding its crew. We have given certain abeyance regarding FDTL norms to IndiGo to ensure normalcy."

Why has a committee been formed?

Naidu said a committee has been set up to look into the disruption and determine where the failure occurred. He added that those responsible must face consequences.

He stated, "Since we have observed this only with IndiGo, we have formed a committee which will inquire into all this so that they can establish where things went wrong and who did it wrong. We will take the necessary action on that as well. This thing shouldn't be left unattended. We are taking strict action on this, so that whoever was responsible for this needs to pay for it."

What is the Ministry’s immediate priority?

The Minister said restoring normalcy and supporting affected passengers remains the government’s foremost concern.

Naidu said, "The immediate priority for us is to bring back normalcy and provide all the support to the passengers. Five lakh people travel by air every day. We are closely monitoring this and the FDTL norms and scheduling the network. We will thoroughly investigate this and ensure that all airlines exercise due diligence. We can't compromise on safety."

He added, "The Civil Aviation Ministry has been actively engaging with all the stakeholders on the ground ever since IndiGo faced major operational issues (from December 3), leading to delays and cancellations. We want to reduce all the inconvenience passengers have been facing at the airports. We also want to ensure safe operations in the country."

Why did the Ministry ask IndiGo to cancel major operations?

Naidu said the Ministry had directed IndiGo to take corrective steps to restore normal operations within two days, but delays persisted. This compelled the government to advise the airline to cancel a significant portion of its flights.

He said, "Initially, when a lot of delays happened with the IndiGo operations, we told them to take all necessary steps to ensure normalcy within two days. However, we saw delays happening yesterday as well. Therefore, we told IndiGo to cancel major operations so that the inconvenience at the airport and the congestion due to delays are reduced."

He added, "Today, the focus remained on clearing backlogs of the last two days. We have instructed airport and airline operators to give priority to senior citizens and differently-abled passengers who are facing challenges. Food, water and necessary accommodation must be taken care of."

How is the passenger experience being improved?

The Minister said staff interacting with passengers have been instructed to act with empathy and maintain effective communication. He also noted that operational conditions were improving.

Naidu said, "Today, we are seeing that the situation is getting better. The backlog that has been there for the last two days has been cleared. Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai airports have been cleared. From tomorrow, we are expecting normalcy to start in the sense that there won't be any congestion, or there won't be any waiting at the airports. Whatever operations IndiGo can start immediately; they will start them."

What has raised concerns about IndiGo’s market share?

IndiGo’s dominant market share of almost 70 percent has raised fears of a monopoly, especially in the wake of more than 500 flight cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded and triggered protests in Parliament.

Why did DGCA grant IndiGo an exemption?

The DGCA has blamed IndiGo’s operational meltdown on "misjudgment and gap in planning" during the transition to the new pilot duty hour norms.

The government has directed airlines to address disruptions and ensure refunds for passengers.

IndiGo has been granted a one-time exemption from the DGCA’s night duty rules until 10 February 2026. The waiver allows the airline to bypass stricter limits on night-time duty hours and related rest requirements. The DGCA has also withdrawn a rule preventing airlines from counting pilot leave as weekly rest.

This exemption aims to stabilise IndiGo’s operations and relieve pressure caused by its pilot staffing constraints.

However, the Airlines' Pilots Association of India (ALPA) has criticised the move, saying it sets a dangerous precedent and weakens established safety norms.

(agency inputs)