Rahul Gandhi Critiques IndiGo's Flight Cancellations: A Call for Fair Competition

Rahul Gandhi's Stance on IndiGo's Flight Disruptions

New Delhi: On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the recent flight cancellations by IndiGo, labeling the situation as a consequence of the government's 'monopoly model.' He emphasized that India deserves a competitive environment across all sectors rather than monopolistic practices.

Following IndiGo's cancellation of over 550 flights on Thursday and an additional 400 on Friday, which severely impacted numerous travelers, Gandhi pointed out that it is the common citizens who suffer from delays and cancellations.

"The IndiGo situation reflects the cost of this government's monopoly model. Once again, ordinary Indians are left to deal with the repercussions—delays, cancellations, and a sense of helplessness," stated Gandhi in a post on X.

He further asserted, "India deserves fair competition in every sector, not monopolistic practices that resemble match-fixing."

The former president of Congress also referenced an article he wrote last year, where he noted that while the original East India Company ceased operations over 150 years ago, the fear it instilled has resurfaced with a new wave of monopolists.

He had previously argued that a 'new deal for progressive Indian business' is essential for the country's future.

In his post from November 6 last year, Gandhi posed a thought-provoking question: "Choose your India: Play-Fair or Monopoly? Jobs or Oligarchies? Competence or Connections? Innovation or Intimidation? Wealth for many or the few?"

He concluded by stating, "I write on why a New Deal for Business isn’t just an option. It is India’s future."

In response to the flight disruptions, IndiGo informed the aviation regulator, DGCA, that they expect operations to stabilize by February 10, 2026, and requested temporary relaxations in flight duty regulations. The airline acknowledged that the recent cancellations stemmed from planning errors in implementing the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, indicating that further cancellations would occur until December 8, followed by a reduction in services.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu conducted a high-level review meeting to evaluate the significant flight disruptions and expressed dissatisfaction with IndiGo's management of the new FDTL norms, despite having sufficient time to prepare.