New Delhi10 December. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu has given a stern warning to Indigo Airline, saying that if the situation does not improve, he will remove the top leadership including the CEO and COO of the airline. This warning has been given due to the continuous flight cancellations of Indigo and the problems being faced by the passengers. The minister clearly said that Indigo management itself is responsible for this entire crisis. This is the result of his internal disturbance.
Indigo did not manage its crew and rostering system properly
Ram Mohan Naidu said in an interview that IndiGo did not manage its crew and rostering system properly despite several talks with the ministry. When asked whether he would fire the CEO and COO, he replied, “If the situation arises, I will definitely do so.” I will impose all kinds of penalties on them.
Possibilities of criminal action also considered, safety of passengers paramount
The minister also said he would consider the possibility of criminal action. He is keeping the safety of passengers on top in this matter. Want to ensure that such operational failures do not recur in the future. He said that he wants to set an example that if anyone plays with the aviation sector, he will not be spared. The ministry is also considering ways to provide relief to the passengers.
Problems arising from the airline’s own operational shortcomings
The minister stressed that IndiGo’s problems were not due to the new duty rules but due to the airline’s own operational shortcomings. “IndiGo has messed up its internal rostering system,” he said. He also clarified that all airlines were given adequate time to prepare before the implementation of the revised duty rules for pilots. The Ministry neither ignored nor gave any relaxation to IndiGo during the implementation of these rules.
‘I will impose all applicable penalties on IndiGo’
The minister also clarified that its results will be out soon. “I will impose all applicable penalties on IndiGo,” he said. When asked whether the ministry and the regulatory body were late in taking action, Naidu insisted that the aviation authorities had been alert for months. He said, ‘If you look at the facts properly in November, there were some days where there were absolutely zero cancellations. We were monitoring the situation thoroughly, not only for IndiGo but for all airlines.
Airlines were also partners in implementing FTTL
The Minister said that extensive consultation was conducted before implementing the new fatigue management rules and flight duty time limit (FDTL/FTTL) rules. “All airlines were consulted before implementation,” he said. The idea was to give the airlines a chance to prepare for it. That’s why consultation was going on. He also said that the Ministry has completely followed the instructions issued by the High Court.
Naidu said, ‘The first thing we should understand is that airlines were also partners in implementing FTTL. Do not reduce their responsibility. They should be responsible and accountable in this matter. If there were difficulties, all airlines faced them – and with IndiGo, you are seeing the results now.’
Government concerned about inconvenience to passengers
Responding to reports of over 1,200 IndiGo flights being canceled in the last 11 days, Naidu urged to read the data carefully. He revealed that the government had held an important meeting with the airlines regarding the new duty rules on December 1, 2025. He said, ‘We had a meeting with IndiGo on FDTL on December 1, 2025. We gave full opportunity to IndiGo to talk with us on FDTL.
He said the airline had sought clarifications, which the ministry addressed after additional consultation. He concluded, ‘Yet it was Indigo itself, which messed up its internal crew management and crew rostering. This is the point I want to make.
IndiGo needs to fix its operational problems immediately
The minister also said that the ministry is concerned about the inconvenience being caused to the passengers. Every possible effort is being made to find a solution to this problem. He said that IndiGo will have to immediately fix its operational problems. He also made it clear that the government will not tolerate any negligence in the aviation sector. Strict steps will be taken to protect the interests of passengers.
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