New Delhi [India], December 5 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shashank Mani Tripathi on Friday defended IndiGo against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "monopoly" remarks, calling the carrier a "trustworthy airline" and attributing the recent wave of delays and cancellations to strikes and the shutdown of rival operators, while urging IndiGo to swiftly address passenger inconvenience.
Speaking to ANI, Tripathi said, "IndiGo flight cancellations are unfortunate. I think it is a trustworthy airline...Strikes and other things are affecting it. But there is no monopoly here...When 3-4 airlines shut down, it took over the market share. I agree that we should encourage more airlines...But I would like to alert IndiGo to work on itself because people are facing inconvenience."
The remarks after the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the Centre over IndiGo experiencing operational disruptions and flight cancellations, attributing the issues to a "monopoly model".
In an X post, Rahul Gandhi attributed the recent disruptions in the airlines to a monopoly in the aviation sector, demanding "fair competition" in the market.
"IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this Govt's monopoly model. 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," the Congress MP wrote.
Meanwhile, Delhi Airport announced that all IndiGo flights departing from the capital on Friday are cancelled till midnight, while operations for other carriers remain as scheduled.
In an official advisory, the Delhi Airport said, "IndiGo domestic flights departing from Delhi Airport on 5th December 2025 are cancelled till midnight today (till 23:59 hours). Operations for all other carriers remain as scheduled. Our dedicated on-ground teams are working diligently with all partners to mitigate the disruption and ensure a comfortable passenger experience."
Amid ongoing airline operational disruptions nationwide, over 500 IndiGo flights have been delayed or cancelled, causing severe inconvenience to travellers.
Passengers at multiple airports expressed strong frustration over the severe disruption, leaving many stranded with no clear communication or alternate travel options. Passengers said that disruptions, attributed to staff shortages and new rules for crew members, have left travellers stranded at airports for hours without proper communication, food, or water.
Meanwhile, Delhi Airport issued a passenger advisory, alerting travellers to operational challenges affecting certain domestic flights, resulting in delays and cancellations.
In an advisory, Delhi Airport said, "Please be advised that operational challenges affecting certain domestic services are resulting in flight delays and cancellations. We strongly recommend passengers verify their flight status directly with their airline prior to departure for the airport. Our dedicated on-ground teams are working diligently with all partners to mitigate the disruption and ensure a comfortable passenger experience."
Additionally, Delhi Airport confirmed that 225 Indigo flights, comprising both arrivals and departures, have been cancelled since the morning from the capital's hub, impacting a significant number of travellers. According to the latest reports, more than 500 IndiGo flights were cancelled on Friday.
IndiGo, which is experiencing operational disruptions and cancellations, has sought temporary operational exemptions from certain Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) provisions for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, and assured that operational stability will be restored by that date, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.
Following a detailed review meeting under the chairmanship of the DGCA with the senior leadership of IndiGo on Thursday, the regulator said, "To reduce passenger inconvenience while maintaining safety margins, IndiGo has requested operational variations or exemptions from specific FDTL provisions for A320 operations up to February 10, 2026. IndiGo has assured DGCA that corrective actions are underway and that normalised and stable operations will be fully restored by February 10, 2026."
IndiGo has been witnessing a sharp rise in cancellations, with approximately 170-200 flights affected per day, substantially higher than usual.