The Central government has stepped in to address the widespread disruption in IndiGo's flight operations, assuring the public that services are expected to stabilise by Saturday and reach full normalcy within the next three days. This comes after two consecutive days of massive flight cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded across the country.
Minister Announces Probe Into Operational Lapses
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has announced a high-level inquiry into the incident, which saw over 500 flights cancelled across two days. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has swiftly constituted a four-member committee to investigate the operational lapses that led to this crisis. The committee's mandate is to pinpoint the causes and ensure accountability, preventing a recurrence of such large-scale inconvenience.
Immediate Measures for Passenger Convenience
To manage the immediate fallout and prioritise passenger convenience, the authorities have implemented a temporary relaxation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The ministry has emphasised that this measure has been taken without compromising on safety standards. Airlines, primarily IndiGo, have been issued strict directives to mitigate passenger hardship.
The key directives include:
- Providing timely and accurate updates to affected passengers.
- Ensuring automatic refunds for cancelled flights.
- Making necessary hotel arrangements for flyers left stranded.
- Offering special assistance to senior citizens and differently-abled passengers.
Path to Normalisation and Accountability
The primary focus of the government and the regulator is to restore normal services as swiftly as possible while addressing the root causes of the failure. The DGCA's probe is expected to scrutinise IndiGo's rostering, maintenance schedules, and overall operational preparedness that led to the cascading effect of cancellations. The Centre's assurance of normalisation within three days, by Saturday, December 7, 2025, aims to restore confidence among the travelling public. The incident underscores the need for robust contingency planning in India's rapidly growing aviation sector to handle unforeseen operational stresses.
