(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari on Friday raised the issue of operational disruptions and flight cancellations by IndiGo in the Upper House, attributing them to a "monopoly" in the aviation sector.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Tiwari urged the Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, to respond to Parliament, highlighting that several MPs may need to travel back to their hometowns over the weekend, when there is no sitting schedule. The Congress MP said, "More than 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled yesterday, and there were cancellations even the day before. Today is Friday, and many members would like to travel. People have their schedules and will return on Sunday or Monday. This has happened due to the monopoly of a single airline. The Minister concerned, who made the rules that caused this problem, should inform the House when the problem will be resolved and whether the government is taking any steps. I am not raising a question that would cause any inconvenience to anybody."

Government Assures Action

Tiwari's remarks come amid reports that IndiGo faced over 500 cancellations on Friday, while Delhi International Airport announced that all IndiGo flights from the national capital are cancelled till midnight. Responding to Tiwari's statement, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Centre is taking steps to resolve the issues. "I talked to the Civil Aviation Minister, and the government is taking the initiative regarding the technical problem in the private airlines. I told him to be ready (with an answer) as MPs would raise concern, and even citizens should have information about it," Rijiju told the House.

DGCA Explains Operational Breakdown

IndiGo, which is experiencing operational disruptions and cancellations, has sought temporary operational exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) provisions for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, and assured that operational stability will be restored by that date, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. The DGCA found that IndiGo's operational breakdowns stemmed from transitional challenges in implementing Phase 2 of the revised FDTL norms, crew-planning gaps, and winter-season constraints. The revised fatigue-management rules, enforced following court directions, came into effect in two stages, July 1 and November 1, 2025.

Opposition Slams Government Over 'Monopoly'

The flight cancellations have triggered a political row with the Opposition holding the Central government accountable for the situation. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi echoed the allegations of monopoly levelled by Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Pramod Tiwari.

Congress MP Links Cancellations to 'Era of Monopolies'

In an X post, Gogoi said, "It is sad to see the state of Indian aviation. The Indian aviation was once competitive and encouraged new market players. Yet the advent of the Modi government also brought the era of monopolies and duopolies. Many pointed to the error of this trend, including former Deputy RBI Governor Viral Acharya. But the government did not care about the average Indian consumer and focused solely on the proprietor. Even now, duopolies and cartels exist in many businesses, affecting poor and middle-class Indians. It will be wise for the Modi government to rethink its approach towards the Indian industry."

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Moves Notice

Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi moved a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, requesting the Civil Aviation Minister to make a statement on the disruption of IndiGo's operations, which has been causing severe inconvenience to passengers across the country. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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