NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi weighed in on the IndiGo disruption, stating that it is a consequence of the monopoly model promoted by the government, for which ordinary citizens are paying the price. He took to X to share a post emphasising the need for fair competition across all sectors rather than allowing monopolies to dominate.“IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this Govt’s monopoly model,” wrote Gandhi, “Once again, it’s ordinary Indians who pay the price – in delays, cancellations and helplessness. India deserves fair competition in every sector, not match-fixing monopolies.”
https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/1996793416383160562?s=20IndiGo flights have triggered major disruptions at key airports across India. The airline is grappling with significant operational challenges, resulting in widespread flight cancellations, confusion among passengers, and considerable frustration as travellers are stranded, with many also losing their luggage.The flight disturbances have now escalated into a political issue, with the Opposition likely to raise the matter in Parliament.Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi submitted a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, urging Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu to make a statement regarding the disruption of IndiGo’s operations, which has been causing severe inconvenience to passengers nationwide.In her notice, she stated, “The extensive disruption in IndiGo Airlines’ operations on Wednesday, which led to delays of up to seven hours and the cancellation of more than 70 flights across the country, including major hubs like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, was due to a critical shortage of crew and other operational challenges. This situation caused substantial hardship for passengers, with several prominent domestic routes and international services, including the Mumbai-Maldives flight, severely impacted during peak hours.“She added, “This issue is of urgent public importance, as thousands of passengers were stranded, normal airport operations were disrupted, and recurring large-scale disturbances in airline services underscore the need for immediate government intervention, accountability, and measures to prevent such incidents in the future. I request that the Minister provide a statement on this matter at the earliest opportunity.“Meanwhile, IndiGo has requested temporary operational exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, and assured that full operational stability will be restored by that date, according to a statement from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
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