Tag: Indigo Airport Chaos

‘Shameful, Shocking How IndiGo Took Air Travel To Ransom And Govt Could Do Nothing’

By Lokmarg

Rishi Pratap Shahi, a frequent flier, says it is surprising as how a private airlines enjoys 65% share in the domestic aviation market with zero accountability. His views:

In one of the biggest consumer-driven economy of the world, the basic rule of market is missing in India – allowing a private player to sky rocket its share in the market to such an extent that it is now the king and has an undeclared monopoly. How come this happened or even allowed in such a fast emerging economy? It definitely raises questions – that was the market offered to Indigo on the instance of someone?

The entire episode, which is still ongoing and does not appears to end soon, gave one of the most glaring lesson to us, the fliers – that it does not mean that if you have money or can afford to fly, you are above the other middle or upper middle class Indians who cannot afford to fly and commute via bus or trains.

You are also at the mercy of the service provider (Indigo) who can bring you down on your knees at will and make your life worse than those opting for trains or buses due to affordability. It is also not worth mentioning the problems that the commuters faced as it is everywhere on social media and channels where we have, in a way, become a laughing stock and an it was never in the wildest thoughts of anyone that even those flying in planes can faced the difficulties of the common and the `poor’ Indians.

The episode also opened up another market segment which I first hand witnessed on the Delhi airport: I saw some ‘riche rich’ groups shaking hands and pooling for charted planes to save time. Of course this niche market is only for the superrich but it will not be a surprise if yet another market segment opens up with lucrative offers to cater this clientele soon!

What further surprised me was the causal stance of the company through it statement and the carefree body language of its imported CEO Pieter Elbers who, besides apologizing, barely promised stabilization by mid-December, increasing call center capacity, and implementing refund/rebooking processes.

Being a native of Uttar Pradesh, my foremost suggestion is that he should have been called to the local police station (after a written complaint) by the Inspector-in-charge and should have been kept there sitting for two-three days without any interrogation or torture… under the best hospitality of our dear UP Police.

The basic question still remains unanswered: How does the Indigo dare to or gained so much strength to simply overlook the directives of DGCA and the airline’s failure to prepare for the full implementation of stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms (new pilot rest and duty rules) that came into effect on November 1, 2025. What is more glaring is the DGCA back tracked, in a way bending to the black mailing tactics of the carrier.

It is high time that the government woke up and at least worked out something to end the monopoly of Indigo by making or simplifying norms for the entry of more players in the domestic market as things are bound to repeat if the market remains a one man show. Of course strict regulation, investigations (DGCA), enforcing safety, and preventing such large-scale hardships should be the priority besides focusing on employee well-being to prevent burnout, which impacts customer service, and ensure passenger safety/comfort.

As told to Rajat Rai

Govt Won’t Take Action Against IndiGo, Despite Unprecedented Chaos

By Sidharth MIshra

The Narendra Modi government, for all its public muscle-flexing, appears poised to let the country’s largest airline, IndiGo, escape without stringent consequences for the unprecedented chaos it unleashed in the skies last week. The misery caused to lakhs of passengers, many stranded at airports for hours, some even for days, sparked outrage across the country.

Yet, the signals emerging from the Ministry of Civil Aviation suggest that the government may ultimately choose a conciliatory approach rather than hold the airline firmly accountable. The clearest indication of this came through an interview published in a national daily, where Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu responded to pointed questions on punitive action against IndiGo. His remarks, measured to the point of being deferential, revealed more than what was said directly.

To a specific question on whether the government would initiate action against IndiGo for prolonged flight delays, mass cancellations, and inadequate passenger communication, Naidu said, “The reply to the show cause notice will determine if there is a need to take an interim action. However, we will wait for the four-member committee constituted by the DGCA to submit its report.”

This wait-and-watch approach contrasts sharply with the seriousness of the crisis. At its peak, IndiGo had grounded a significant portion of its fleet, citing crew shortages and cascading operational disruptions. Airport terminals, particularly in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, saw overflowing crowds, fraught tempers, and families sleeping on floors.

Social media was flooded with horror stories of passengers boarding flights only to be deboarded hours later and those missing weddings, funerals, and international connections due to lack of information. Yet, instead of taking a firm position on accountability, the Minister appeared keen to reassure rather than reprimand.

Defending IndiGo’s broader performance, Naidu emphasised, albeit indirectly, that the airline’s scale and efficiency make it an unlikely villain. “IndiGo is an efficient airline with over 60% market share,” he said, suggesting that the current crisis could be viewed as an aberration rather than systemic negligence.

This line of reasoning raises troubling questions. Does size grant immunity? Should dominance in the market translate into leniency in regulation? And most importantly, does the government view IndiGo as too big to be held strictly accountable?

Though Naidu acknowledged that IndiGo had clearly faltered in crisis management, even this criticism was delivered with visible restraint. “Why did it take two days for them to ensure that flights’ status are informed to the passengers well in advance so that they don’t get stuck at the airports, is something that we are looking at,” he said.

The fact that it took two full days for IndiGo, a company that prides itself on operational excellence, to stabilise its information flow and proactively reach out to stranded customers is not a minor lapse. It is a fundamental failure of passenger service obligations. Under DGCA norms, airlines are mandated to inform flyers of delays and cancellations in a timely manner. The chaos of last week shows these rules were not just overlooked but abandoned altogether.

Despite this, the tone of the Minister’s interview suggests that the government’s priority may be to manage perception rather than enforce accountability. Instead of announcing provisional penalties or signalling stricter oversight to restore public confidence, the government’s messaging has been curiously soft.

This is particularly surprising given the Modi government’s reputation for acting swiftly and decisively in the face of public crises. In industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to online gaming to food safety, regulatory agencies have cracked down hard when public interest was seen to be at stake. Yet, when lakhs of passengers were left stranded, elderly people were made to stand for hours without assistance, and families with infants had no clarity on their flights, the response from the Centre was muted.

Observers suggest several possible reasons. IndiGo’s overwhelming market share makes it central to India’s aviation ecosystem. Any harsh punitive action, such as grounding aircraft, imposing heavy fines, or restricting schedules, could lead to further disruptions, worsening the very crisis the government seeks to contain. Moreover, at a time when the government is actively promoting air travel as part of its infrastructure growth narrative, acknowledging massive aviation mismanagement may not fit the political script.

Nevertheless, the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA is not merely to maintain operational continuity, but to ensure passenger rights, safety, and fair conduct. Going soft on IndiGo sets a dangerous precedent. It signals that airlines may get away with lapses as long as they are big enough, efficient enough, or important enough.

As the crisis slowly subsides, thousands of passengers are still awaiting refunds, reimbursements, and explanations. The government must decide whether it stands with the travelling public or with a dominant private operator.

The Minister’s mild interview in the midst of a massive aviation breakdown may offer an early answer, and not one that inspires confidence.

(Sidharth Mishra is an author, academician and president of the Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice)