Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that IndiGo’s operations are improving and other airlines are running smoothly across India. He said the government will not allow any airline to trouble passengers because of poor planning, rule violations, or non-compliance.
Naidu added that airports across the country are functioning normally without crowding or distress. He also said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sent show-cause notices to IndiGo’s senior leaders and started a detailed investigation. He stressed that the government will take strong action after reviewing the report.
He made it clear that the government expects IndiGo to correct its mistakes. He also said the new pilot and crew rostering rules will stay in place, and airlines must follow them.
Refunds and Passenger Support Under Close Watch
Naidu addressed concerns about refunds and baggage issues. He said the Ministry of Civil Aviation is closely watching refunds for flights cancelled between December 5 and 15. It is also tracking baggage recovery and other support steps.
IndiGo was told to process refunds quickly. The airline has refunded more than ₹750 crore so far. Naidu informed Parliament that IndiGo claimed it returned ₹827 crore to passengers, and the remaining amount is still being processed.
Government Caps Fares and Ensures Free Rebooking
To protect passengers from high fares, the government introduced temporary fare caps. Naidu said IndiGo rebooked passengers without extra fees. He added that the airline agreed to follow all flight duty norms and said it is ready for the winter schedule.
He noted that operations are improving quickly and safety remains strong. He also said the government is working on long-term steps to make India’s aviation sector more passenger-friendly.
DGCA Cuts IndiGo’s Daily Schedule by 5%
In a firm move, DGCA ordered IndiGo to reduce its daily flights by 5%. It also asked the airline to submit a revised schedule by 5 p.m. on December 10. According to the regulator, IndiGo did not manage its approved schedule well in November. Out of 64,346 approved flights, the airline operated 59,438 and cancelled 951.
Opposition Walkout
After Naidu’s statement, the Opposition, led by the Congress party, walked out of the Lok Sabha in protest over the IndiGo disruptions.
