Delhi: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Saturday assured that the severe disruption caused by IndiGo’s large-scale flight cancellations and delays is beginning to stabilise. He said the government expects airport congestion and long waiting hours to end starting tomorrow, adding that a special committee has been set up to investigate the root cause of the crisis.
Speaking to ANI, the minister said the government’s top priority is restoring normal flight operations and ensuring that passengers stranded over the past few days receive complete support. “Today, we are seeing that the situation is getting better. The backlogs of the last two days have been cleared. From tomorrow, we are expecting normalcy — no congestion, no long waiting at airports. Whatever flights IndiGo can resume immediately, they will do so,” he said.
Naidu stressed that the ministry is closely analysing the situation, especially the airline’s adherence to Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) guidelines, which regulate pilot and crew work hours. “We are deeply observing this — the FDTL norms, the scheduling network. We will thoroughly look into this and ensure every airline follows due diligence,” he added.
Addressing the unprecedented wave of cancellations — over 1,000 flights grounded on Friday and more than 550 the previous day — Naidu revealed that a dedicated inquiry committee has been tasked with identifying the lapses that triggered the nationwide chaos.
“We have formed a committee that will inquire into everything. They will determine where things went wrong and who is responsible. Strict action will be taken — this cannot be left unattended,” the minister said.
Despite gradual improvement at major hubs, flight disruptions continued in several regions. Delhi Airport announced on Saturday morning that IndiGo operations are “steadily returning to normal,” though delays persisted at other airports. In Thiruvananthapuram, three domestic arrivals and three departures were cancelled, while Ahmedabad Airport reported 7 arrivals and 12 departures cancelled between midnight and 6 AM on December 6.
