Centre to slash IndiGo winter flights, give slots to rivals
What's the story
The Indian government has announced that it will cut down IndiGo's winter flight schedule and redistribute its slots among other airlines in the wake of the carrier's massive operational meltdown. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu announced the decision in a recent interview with Doordarshan. "We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them," he said.
Cancelations explained
IndiGo's flight cancelations attributed to internal crisis
Naidu also revealed that IndiGo has refunded ₹745 crore for 7,30,655 canceled PNRs between December 1 and December 8. Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Monday, he attributed the recent spate of flight cancelations to an "internal crisis" at IndiGo after new passenger safety norms were implemented. The minister stressed that the government is serious about passenger safety and will take strict action against non-compliance.
Regulatory measures
Government's response to IndiGo's operational challenges
The new safety rules, introduced nearly two years ago, were aimed at addressing pilot fatigue by increasing downtime. This necessitated hiring more pilots, a challenge for IndiGo which usually emphasizes minimizing downtime. As a result, the airline faced crew shortages and subsequently canceled hundreds of flights, causing major disruptions for passengers. In light of this situation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation temporarily relaxed these norms last week.
Sector expansion
Government's commitment to expanding aviation sector
Naidu also expressed the government's desire to have more players, saying India can support five major airlines. However, his remarks were met with opposition from within Parliament, leading to a walkout by the opposition over how the situation was handled. The opposition has been attacking the government over the IndiGo crisis, with the Congress claiming that the ongoing chaos was not an accident but the direct outcome of the BJP government's "relentless push to manufacture a duopoly in the sector."