Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday blamed the massive IndiGo flight disruptions on what he called the government’s “monopoly model,” alleging that ordinary citizens are being forced to pay the price for flawed policies that reduce competition.
As IndiGo cancelled more than 550 flights on Thursday and over 400 on Friday—throwing travel plans into disarray—Gandhi said the episode exposed the consequences of allowing dominant players to operate without real competition.
“IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this Govt’s monopoly model. Once again, it’s ordinary Indians who pay the price — in delays, cancellations and helplessness,” the Leader of the Opposition wrote on X, adding that India needs “fair competition in every sector, not match-fixing monopolies.”
IndiGo has informed aviation regulator DGCA that its operations are unlikely to stabilise before February 10, 2026. The airline sought temporary relaxations in flight duty rules as it struggles with the second phase of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), admitting to “misjudgment and planning gaps.”
The carrier warned of further cancellations until December 8, followed by a reduction in services thereafter.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu convened a high-level review meeting and expressed displeasure over IndiGo’s handling of the new FDTL norms despite having ample preparation time.
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