The IndiGo fiasco is the price of the government’s monopoly model: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (Dec 5, 2025) alleged that IndiGo’s “fiasco” is the price of this government’s “monopoly model” and asserted that India deserves fair competition in every sector, and not match-fixing monopolies.

After IndiGo canceled more than 550 flights on Thursday (December 4) and 400 flights on Friday (December 5) alone, disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of passengers, Mr Gandhi said it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price in delays, cancellations and helplessness.

“The IndiGo fiasco is the price of this government’s monopoly model. Once again, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price – with delays, cancellations and helplessness,” the Leader of the Opposition said in a post on X.

“India deserves fair competition in every sector, and no monopolies in match-fixing,” Mr Gandhi asserted.

IndiGo told aviation watchdog DGCA on Thursday that operations are expected to be fully stabilized by February 10, 2026, and sought temporary relaxations in flight norms on a day when the country’s largest airline canceled more than 550 flights, disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of passengers.

Acknowledging that the flight disruptions in recent days are mainly due to misjudgments and planning gaps in the implementation of the second phase of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, IndiGo also informed the regulator that there will be more cancellations till December 8 and from that day onwards there will also be a reduction in services.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu held a high-level review meeting to assess the situation of significant flight disruptions and expressed displeasure over IndiGo’s handling of the implementation of the new FDTL norms despite having ample time.