Congress's KC Venugopal slammed the Centre over 550+ IndiGo flight cancellations, blaming government mishandling for creating a duopoly. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has ordered airlines to resolve the disruptions and ensure passenger refunds.
Congress Slams Centre for Aviation Crisis
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Central Government after many IndiGo flights were cancelled over the past few days, alleging that the unprecedented disruption was the direct outcome of the Centre's mishandling of the aviation sector.
In a post shared on X, Venugopal said, "550+ IndiGo flights cancelled in a single day is a clear consequence of the Government sleeping at the wheel while a duopoly established a deadly chokehold on India's aviation sector." Accusing the Modi government of prioritising "corporate greed over passengers' interests," he said lakhs of travellers across major airports were left waiting for hours before being informed that their flights had been cancelled. "The Modi Government has reduced a once-competitive industry to two players, prioritising corporate greed over passengers' interests. Lakhs of passengers are left helpless at airports for over 8 hours, only to be told their flights are cancelled, "Congress general secretary X post further read.
Accountability and Past Failures Questioned
Venugopal questioned what mechanism the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had in place to ensure that passengers received full and timely refunds. "What is the mechanism that @MoCA_GoI has set up to ensure passengers get full refunds for these cancelled flights? How are they ensuring Indigo is looking after passengers' well-being?" he asked.
The Congress leader linked the present crisis to a series of developments in the aviation sector over the past several years, including the "collapse of Jet Airways and Go First to Air India's monopoly merger". He argued that these developments, occurring under the Centre's watch, cumulatively weakened the sector and burdened ordinary travellers.
"From the collapse of Jet Airways and Go First to Air India's monopoly merger - every move that has contributed to this disastrous outcome has happened under their watch. As a result, ordinary passengers in need of urgent travel can no longer afford plane tickets, a situation of zero accountability for either the airlines or the @MoCA_GoI, and now a nationwide shutdown of flights," Venugopal added. "This is not a routine operational hiccup, it is a Government-approved systemic failure that will happen again and again unless drastic measures are undertaken immediately," he further added.
Ministry of Civil Aviation Intervenes
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed airlines, especially IndiGo, to implement measures immediately to resolve the severe disruption to flight schedules and stabilise services without delay, an official statement said.
Directives Issued to Airlines
Two orders have been issued to address problems faced by the public and restore service stability, especially on IndiGo. The order said, "It is expected: All flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal midnight tonight; Full services and stability should return over the next couple of days; Passengers can track delays, if any, from home through information system installed by IndiGo and others; In the event of flight cancellation IndiGo will ensure automatic full refund for tickets."
"If passengers are stranded, they will be put up at hotels where accommodation has been booked by airlines. Special measures have been taken to ensure senior citizens are not discomfited in any manner. They will be provided with lounge access; Passengers of delayed flights will be provided with refreshments and other necessities; A 24x7 control room at the Ministry of Civil Aviation is constantly monitoring the situation on a time basis," the order further read.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the Central Government is fully alert to the woes of air passengers and is in constant consultation with all stakeholders. "Every possible measure, including rule exemptions as announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday, will be taken to restore schedules and ensure stability to mitigate the public's woes," the statement added. (ANI)
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