Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed strong concern over the ongoing IndiGo flight cancellation crisis during an NDA Parliamentary Party meeting on Tuesday, urging that passengers should not face undue hardship amid the airline's operational meltdown. Speaking to reporters, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju conveyed Modi's message, stating, "During the NDA parliamentary meeting, the PM told NDA MPs that people should not be troubled or face inconvenience. Rules and laws are good, but in order to correct the system, it is not right to harass people." The remarks underscore the government's balancing act between enforcing stricter crew rest regulations and mitigating public suffering, as the crisis—triggered by IndiGo's failure to comply with updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms effective November 2025—has stranded thousands during peak wedding and holiday season.

The disruption, the worst in IndiGo's history and one of Indian aviation's most severe, began on December 2 and had led to over 4,000 cancellations nationwide by December 7, with more than 200 flights scrapped on Tuesday alone across hubs like Bengaluru (121), Hyderabad (58), and Chennai (41). IndiGo, commanding 60% of the domestic market, attributed the chaos to "misjudgement and planning gaps" in crew rostering, exacerbated by new rules mandating extended rest periods and night-duty limits—provisions other carriers adapted to without major fallout. The airline's on-time performance plummeted to a record low of 3.7% on December 5, prompting widespread outrage over delayed refunds, lost baggage (over 9,000 bags affected), and surging fares.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is set to brief the Lok Sabha on the issue later Tuesday, following a Congress adjournment motion by MP Manickam Tagore that holds the government accountable for "failing" to avert the crisis and passenger harassment. Naidu, who addressed the Rajya Sabha on Monday, blamed IndiGo's "internal system" failures and noted the carrier did not flag issues during a December 1 meeting. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, formed a high-level committee to probe the lapses, and mandated a 5% reduction in the airline's winter schedule, reallocating slots to competitors like Air India and Akasa Air to ease capacity strains.

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IndiGo has processed refunds totalling Rs 827 crore for 9.55 lakh affected passengers as of December 7 and claims 95% network restoration with 91% on-time performance, targeting full normalcy by December 10-15 and complete recovery by February 10, 2026. The Federation of Indian Pilots criticised the carrier's "lean manpower strategy" and delayed hiring, while the government imposed temporary fare caps on domestic routes to curb price gouging. Railways added extra coaches to premium trains to accommodate stranded travellers, highlighting the ripple effects on ground transport.

Modi's intervention signals a push for swift resolution without compromising safety standards, as the crisis coincides with Parliament's Winter Session debates on electoral reforms and cultural milestones like 'Vande Mataram's' 150th anniversary. With IndiGo's board forming a crisis management group and facing potential penalties, the episode exposes vulnerabilities in India's booming aviation sector, projected to handle 300 million passengers annually by 2030, and tests the balance between regulatory enforcement and consumer protection.

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