New Delhi, Dec 8: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Monday addressed the ongoing IndiGo crisis in the Rajya Sabha, clarifying that the disruption faced by passengers stemmed from the airline’s internal crew rostering and operational planning issues—not from the Aircraft Maintenance and Scheduling System (AMSS).
“The IndiGo crisis occurred due to problems in its crew rostering and internal planning system,” the Minister said.
He added that strict Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) were in place to safeguard passengers affected by delays and cancellations.
“Airline operators are required to follow these regulations. An inquiry has been initiated regarding the software issue, and continuous technological upgrades are part of the sector’s evolution. The government’s vision is to bring India’s aviation sector to top global standards,” he noted.
Operations at IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, remained severely disrupted for the seventh consecutive day, leading to the cancellation of more than 450 flights across several airports on Monday. The situation, described as one of the worst air travel crises India has witnessed, showed only slight improvement from Sunday, when the airline cancelled over 650 flights—down from more than 1,000 two days earlier.
According to officials, IndiGo has processed ticket refunds worth over ₹610 crore for passengers affected by the cancellations.
The airline has attributed the crisis primarily to a shortage of cockpit crew following the complete rollout of government-mandated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which regulate pilot rest requirements.
