'No law should unnecessarily trouble common citizens': PM Modi on IndiGo chaos

Amid the ongoing IndiGo chaos, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the lawmaking authorities and ministers to ensure smooth movement for the people, while not burdening them with last-minute cancellations and inflated airfares.

Mentioning PM's statement at an NDA meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju mentioned how he asked the ministers to ensure that people do not face any trouble on account of the government. "Rules and regulations are well and good, but they should be made to improve the system and not to harass the public."

"Prime Minister Modi has said in very clear words that there should not be any such law or rule that unnecessarily troubles the common citizens. This should not happen. Laws should not be a burden on the people, but for their convenience," Rijiju added.

The Prime Minister’s comments carry significance given IndiGo’s weeklong turmoil, during which hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed for seven straight days, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and drawing strong criticism of both the company and regulatory oversight.

Cancellations rise

IndiGo's flight cancellation spree continued as the fiasco entered its second week, with around 500 flights grounded on Tuesday. Delhi and Bengaluru bore the heaviest losses, with 152 and 121 cancellations, respectively. Additional cancellations were noted in Chennai (81), Hyderabad (58), Mumbai (31), Lucknow (26), and Ahmedabad (16).

The cancellations came as India's Civil Aviation Ministry said IndiGo’s winter flight schedule would be trimmed, with unused slots redistributed to other carriers as the country’s largest airline grapples with a widespread operational meltdown. The ministry also plans a review with senior officials from all operating airlines later today.

Officials briefed on the matter indicated that the meeting will focus on preventing a recurrence of disruptions similar to those currently affecting IndiGo.

Ram Mohan Naidu on the fiasco

During an appearance on Doordarshan on Monday evening, Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu announced the plan to reallocate IndiGo’s winter slots to other carriers. He also reported that 6,000 of the 9,000 stranded bags have been delivered, with the remainder expected to reach travellers by Tuesday morning.

Naidu tweeted that a high-level crisis review had been convened on Monday night, directing senior officials to inspect airport operations and passenger services, with any gaps, particularly those highlighted by travellers, to be addressed immediately.