After days of widespread flight delays and cancellations, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Saturday said the disruption affecting IndiGo flights is easing and that normal airport operations are expected to resume from Sunday. The minister assured passengers that waiting and congestion at airports should come to an end as the airline gradually restores its schedule.
Speaking to ANI, Ram Mohan Naidu said the government’s immediate focus is on restoring normalcy and ensuring that passengers receive full support. He noted that the operational backlogs that had built up over the last two days have largely been cleared.
“Today, we are seeing that the situation is getting better. The backlogs that have been there for the last two days have been cleared. From tomorrow, we are expecting normalcy to start — in the sense that there won’t be any congestion or waiting at the airports. Whatever operations IndiGo can start immediately, they will start it,” the minister said.
He added that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is closely monitoring the situation, particularly compliance with Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and scheduling norms. Emphasising regulatory oversight, Naidu said the government would ensure all airlines follow due diligence in planning and operations to avoid such disruptions in the future.
Responding to questions about the scale of the crisis, which saw massive flight cancellations for nearly five days, the civil aviation minister announced the formation of a committee to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter.
“We have formed a committee which will inquire into all this so that they can establish where things went wrong and who did it wrong. We are going to take necessary action on that also. This thing shouldn’t be left unattended. We are taking strict action, so that whoever was responsible for this needs to pay for it,” Naidu said.
The committee will examine operational planning, crew management, and scheduling gaps that may have triggered the chaos. The minister’s statement signals that regulatory action could follow once responsibility is fixed.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has been grappling with operational issues for several days. On Friday alone, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide, following over 550 cancellations the previous day. On Saturday, the airline faced disruptions for the fourth consecutive day, affecting passengers across major airports.
Delhi airport authorities said IndiGo’s operations in the national capital were gradually returning to normal. However, cancellations continued at several other airports. In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, three domestic arrivals and three domestic departures were cancelled. At Ahmedabad airport, officials reported that between midnight and 6 am on December 6, seven arrivals and twelve departures were cancelled.
While isolated cancellations persist, the government maintains that the worst phase of the disruption is over. With schedules being stabilised and oversight tightened, authorities expect smoother passenger movement from Sunday onward.
For thousands of travellers affected by delays, missed connections, and last-minute cancellations, the assurance of normalcy and the promise of accountability offer some relief. The coming days will test how quickly IndiGo can fully restore confidence and whether regulatory scrutiny leads to long-term operational improvements across the aviation sector.
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