'Rules should improve system...not trouble people': PM on IndiGo crisis
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed the importance of ensuring that government rules and regulations do not cause hardship to Indian citizens. He made these remarks during a meeting with lawmakers from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of a debate on the SIR. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shared details of PM Modi's comments on the ongoing IndiGo crisis at this meeting.
PM
What PM said
"Ensure that people do not face any trouble on account of the government. Rules and regulations are well and good, but they should be made to improve the system and not to harass the public," Rijiju quoted the PM as saying. "Prime Minister Modi has said...that there should not be any such law or rule which unnecessarily troubles the common citizens. This should not happen. Laws should not be a burden on the people, but for their convenience," added Rijiju.
Crisis details
IndiGo's operational challenges amid new regulations
IndiGo, which holds over 60% of India's domestic commercial aviation market, is facing a massive operational meltdown, causing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays, after new passenger safety norms were implemented. 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.
Refunds issued
IndiGo's response to flight delays and passenger grievances
The airline has offered full refunds and waived cancelation or rescheduling charges for affected customers. However, the sheer volume of tickets sold, over 9.5 lakh, has led to delayed refunds and incorrect processing, further frustrating passengers who were stranded due to the cancelations. Union Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu revealed that IndiGo has refunded ₹745 crore for 7,30,655 canceled PNRs between December 1 and December 8.
Strict action
Government's stance on IndiGo's operational challenges
Naidu has also said that the government will take strict action against IndiGo for its failure to manage crew and roster. "We will curtail IndiGo's routes. They are currently operating 2,200 flights. We will definitely curtail them," he said. Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Monday, he attributed the recent spate of flight cancelations to an "internal crisis" at IndiGo after the new passenger safety norms were implemented.