IndiGo's 500 flight cancellations raise monopoly concerns in Rajya Sabha

The mass cancellation of roughly 500 IndiGo flights over the past two days sparked concern in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, with Congress MP Pramod Tiwari warning that the airline’s sheer dominance of the domestic aviation market had left both parliamentarians and ordinary travellers stranded.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour, Tiwari said the wave of cancellations had upended weekend travel plans for several MPs. “On one issue, many are concerned, and you will also agree with me. One airline, IndiGo, has cancelled 500 flights yesterday and the day before yesterday. I am raising the current issue, which concerns all,” he told the Chair.

He noted that many members had booked round trips to return home on Friday and fly back on Monday, only to discover that their flights had vanished from the schedule overnight.

Tiwari attributed the disruption to what he called the “monopoly” enjoyed by IndiGo, which currently commands well over 60 per cent of India’s domestic aviation market. This concentration has come under renewed scrutiny amid the airline’s ongoing operational crisis, triggered by a severe shortage of pilots and crew following a spike in sick reports.

The staffing crunch has caused significant delays and cancellations across the network since earlier this week, prompting thousands of passengers to take to social media to highlight long queues, stranded families and last-minute notices.

The Congress MP urged the government to clarify how a single carrier had been allowed to accumulate such market power, and to explain what steps were being taken to stabilise operations. “I want to request through you the minister in charge who has made this rule due to which the problem has arisen, and update the House when the problem will be addressed. Is the government taking any steps?” he asked.

Responding to the concerns, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju assured the House that the matter was already under examination. “Before coming to the House, I spoke to the civil aviation minister. The government is considering the technical problems the airline faces. I have told the civil aviation minister to prepare a response as members concerned will raise the issue in the House,” he said.

Rijiju added that both Parliament and the public would be kept informed as the situation evolves. The civil aviation ministry is expected to brief airlines and issue an advisory later this week amid what has now become one of the most serious operational breakdowns faced by IndiGo in recent years.

With PTI inputs