Indigo (1)

Crisis in Indian Domestic Aviation — or a Crisis Created by IndiGo?

There is growing reason to believe that what we are witnessing is not just an operational failure, but a calculated, master-class corporate pressure tactic by IndiGo.

The revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) were introduced by the DGCA two years ago. IndiGo chose to delay changes in its operational planning instead of complying with the guidelines. If the airline had genuine concerns, it could have approached the government or the courts well in time.

Instead, it waited for the problem to snowball—eventually triggering large-scale flight cancellations and operational chaos.

This raises a serious question:

Is IndiGo attempting to “muscle-twist” the Government of India by cancelling hundreds of flights at the last moment?

The Real Cause of the Disruptions

The cancellations were primarily caused by poor planning and serious misjudgment of required crew strength during the implementation of the second phase of revised FDTL norms, which came into effect on 1 November 2025.

Several insiders and observers believe that this crisis may have been deliberately allowed to escalate in order to pressure the DGCA and the government into relaxing or delaying the new duty norms.

An open letter, reportedly from employees, clearly stated that the

> “operational collapse was allowed to escalate in a way that exerted pressure on the government for extension or relaxation.”

This is an explosive allegation—and it cannot be brushed aside.

Government’s Firm Response

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Government of India reacted sharply, expressing strong displeasure over IndiGo’s handling of the situation—especially when the airline had ample time to prepare.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered to:

Fix accountability

Identify failures

Recommend preventive measures

To stabilise operations, the DGCA was forced to temporarily relax certain duty rules. IndiGo has now promised to return to full normalcy by February 2026.

Pressure Through Chaos?

Officially, the crisis is blamed on planning failure. But the outcome has created a situation where IndiGo’s market dominance and the resulting disruption appear to have been used as leverage against regulators.

This episode exposes the dangerous imbalance between:

A near-monopoly private airline

And public regulatory authority

Internal Revolt and Public Suffering

Importantly, a section of IndiGo’s pilots and ground staff have openly criticised the management. This clearly shows that all employees are not aligned with the company’s decisions.

As always, the worst sufferers are ordinary passengers, who are paying the price for management failures, not regulatory ones.

Accountability Is Non-Negotiable

Both IndiGo and the aviation regulator must be held accountable:

For failure to comply with rules

For failure in operational monitoring

For putting public safety and convenience at risk

This episode once again proves a simple truth:

> Allowing monopoly in any industry—especially aviation—will sooner or later create a crisis.

The Way Forward: More Players in the SkyIndia urgently needs:

More competition

Stronger compliance enforcement

Zero tolerance for operational blackmail

More players in the sky are not just desirable—they are absolutely necessary for the health of Indian civil aviation.