The Aviation Minister, K Rammohan Naidu, affirmed during a session in the Rajya Sabha that the government has commenced an investigation into the extensive flight cancellations by Indigo and is prepared to enforce stringent measures against the operator as a deterrent to other airlines.

Blaming the airlines for its failure to manage the crew and duty roster through its day-to-day operations, Naidu says, “We are not taking this situation easily. We are doing an inquiry. We will take very, very strict action not only for this situation but also as an example.”

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Congress MP Pramod Tiwari posed inquiries regarding the potential connection between the Indigo crisis and a malfunction in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS), a technical disruption that impacted flight operations in early November 2025.

The minister stated that the issue affecting Indigo was not connected to the AMSS, but rather stemmed from irregularities and mismanagement within the airline's internal crew scheduling system.

Expanding on the updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulation established following a court decree in April 2025, Naidu explained that there were a total of 22 FDTL guidelines, with 15 being put into effect starting from July 1, 2025, and the remaining seven following suit on November 1, 2025.

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According to Naidu, extensive consultations were conducted with various stakeholders, including Indigo, regarding the enforcement of FDTL. The government explicitly indicated that all airlines must adhere to the regulations without compromising safety.

"After thorough consultation and safety risk assessment, necessary variations and exemptions have been given beforehand,” Naidu says, adding that the crisis took place almost one whole month of operation in the new FDTL.

 

The minister stated that beginning on November 1, 2025, when the FDTL was fully implemented, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been engaged in ongoing discussions with all airlines.

These airlines have requested exemptions based on specific variations in their operations. Naidu placed blame solely on Indigo for the crisis, asserting that during the Ministry's meeting with the company on December 1, 2025 to discuss FDTL, Indigo failed to bring attention to the specific issue that ultimately led to the crisis.

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“This is a day-to-day operation -- something that Indigo should have maintained. Indigo was supposed to manage the crew, roaster through its day-to-day operations,” Naidu says.

"If there is any mis-compliance, non-compliance, non-adherence for any single person, entity and organization, or any operator functioning in this civil aviation, we will take very, very strict action so that we set an example in the industry," he adds.