New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) The massive disruption caused by IndiGo’s cancellation of nearly 500 flights reverberated in Parliament on Friday, with opposition members accusing the airline of “monopolistic practices” and the “government of regulatory laxity”.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari raised the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, noting that around 500 flights had been cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving parliamentarians and ordinary citizens stranded.

“The problem has arisen due to the monopoly of one airline. Many members had booked flights to return home for the weekend, but are now facing difficulties. I request the minister in charge to update the House on what steps are being taken,” Tiwari said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju responded that the government was seized of the matter. “Before coming to the House, I spoke to the Civil Aviation Minister. The government is considering the technical problems the airline faces. A detailed response will be prepared as members are concerned,” he assured.

The cancellations, which continued into Friday with more than 400 flights grounded nationwide, triggered sharp political reactions. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the government, calling the crisis “the cost of this Govt’s monopoly model”.

In a post on X, Gandhi wrote, “Once again, it’s ordinary Indians who pay the price - in delays, cancellations and helplessness. India deserves fair competition in every sector, not match-fixing monopolies.”

Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also submitted a notice under Rule 180 in the Rajya Sabha, describing the situation as one of “urgent public importance”. She highlighted severe delays of up to seven hours and cancellations at major airports, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, citing crew shortages and operational lapses.

“Thousands of passengers were stranded, normal airport functioning was affected, and recurrent large-scale disruptions highlight the need for immediate government intervention and accountability,” she wrote.

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu convened a high-level review meeting and expressed displeasure at IndiGo’s handling of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which the airline admitted had been poorly implemented.

IndiGo wrote on its X handle, “The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network and operations. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders who have been impacted by these events. IndiGo teams are working diligently and making all efforts with the support of MOCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI and airport operators to reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy. We continue to keep our customers apprised of any changes to their scheduled flights and advise them to check the latest status at https://goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html before heading to the airport. IndiGo deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains focussed on streamlining its operations at the earliest.”

Meanwhile, passengers across the country continue to face chaos.

--IANS

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