'Excuses don't add up': Aviation minister tears into IndiGo over flight chaos
'Whatever reasons they give, they usually don’t seem to be right because IndiGo being such an experienced airline, they should have taken good care of this beforehand,' says minister Ram Mohan Naidu
- Dec 11, 2025,
- Updated Dec 11, 2025 5:58 PM IST
India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu sharply criticised IndiGo’s handling of last week’s massive operational disruption, saying the explanations offered by the airline “don’t seem to be right” and that the government will not rely solely on what the carrier has told them.
Calling the situation “shocking”, the minister said at Agenda Aaj Tak, “Whatever reasons they give, they usually don’t seem to be right because IndiGo being such an experienced airline, they should have taken good care of this beforehand. We are not only relying on what they are saying, we are doing our own thorough inquiry within the DGCA.”
Responding to suggestions that the regulator should have monitored IndiGo’s internal functioning more closely, Naidu said: “You want us to daily monitor internal operations of IndiGo? How are they doing it? As a regulator, we are looking after safety. What is the job of IndiGo here?” He added, “We give safety norms so that the pilots have good safety looked after.”
The minister also responded to IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta’s video statement, saying it failed to address core issues. “He doesn’t answer many of the pertinent questions,” Naidu said.
Pointing to the prolonged freeze in cockpit hiring, he asked: “Why were IndiGo’s pilots on a freeze for the past six months? Six months, no pilot hiring.”
He further criticised the airline’s failure to alert customers before cancellations. “If they knew there were delays and cancellations and they weren’t able to manage operations properly, why should passengers reach airports without being informed?”
When asked about consequences if IndiGo is found to have acted deliberately, Naidu said: “Any kind of action required based on the incompetence of the senior management within IndiGo, we won’t hesitate. We want to follow due process, but we will definitely take whatever action is required.”
The minister also addressed concerns over underused airports, saying infrastructure is being built for long-term needs. “We are preparing airports not only for today but for tomorrow. The constraint is aircraft availability,” he said, adding that the government will extend the UDAN scheme for 10 more years to boost connectivity in tier-2 and tier-3 regions.
India's Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu sharply criticised IndiGo’s handling of last week’s massive operational disruption, saying the explanations offered by the airline “don’t seem to be right” and that the government will not rely solely on what the carrier has told them.
Calling the situation “shocking”, the minister said at Agenda Aaj Tak, “Whatever reasons they give, they usually don’t seem to be right because IndiGo being such an experienced airline, they should have taken good care of this beforehand. We are not only relying on what they are saying, we are doing our own thorough inquiry within the DGCA.”
Responding to suggestions that the regulator should have monitored IndiGo’s internal functioning more closely, Naidu said: “You want us to daily monitor internal operations of IndiGo? How are they doing it? As a regulator, we are looking after safety. What is the job of IndiGo here?” He added, “We give safety norms so that the pilots have good safety looked after.”
The minister also responded to IndiGo Chairman Vikram Singh Mehta’s video statement, saying it failed to address core issues. “He doesn’t answer many of the pertinent questions,” Naidu said.
Pointing to the prolonged freeze in cockpit hiring, he asked: “Why were IndiGo’s pilots on a freeze for the past six months? Six months, no pilot hiring.”
He further criticised the airline’s failure to alert customers before cancellations. “If they knew there were delays and cancellations and they weren’t able to manage operations properly, why should passengers reach airports without being informed?”
When asked about consequences if IndiGo is found to have acted deliberately, Naidu said: “Any kind of action required based on the incompetence of the senior management within IndiGo, we won’t hesitate. We want to follow due process, but we will definitely take whatever action is required.”
The minister also addressed concerns over underused airports, saying infrastructure is being built for long-term needs. “We are preparing airports not only for today but for tomorrow. The constraint is aircraft availability,” he said, adding that the government will extend the UDAN scheme for 10 more years to boost connectivity in tier-2 and tier-3 regions.