Govt has given freedom to monopoly, public is facing trouble: Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on IndiGo crisis

New Delhi [India], December 5 : Following several IndiGo flights being cancelled over the past few days and a large number of passengers left stranded at airports across India, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Friday alleged that the Central government has given freedom to a monopoly and as a result of the present crisis, ticket prices were soaring.
Speaking to ANI, Gurjeet Singh Aujla said, "Rahul Gandhi keeps warning the government from time to time about such issues, but the government is not ready to accept them...Now the issue has escalated and has come before the people. As IndiGo flights have been cancelled, the fares of other airlines have increased. Since 600 flights have been cancelled, Air India is selling tickets at Rs 50,000. The government has given freedom to a monopoly. The public is facing troubles, and the government is showing no concern."
He further said that earlier, there used to be competition, and tickets were cheaper.
"Now there is a monopoly, and ticket prices are decided by them. People buy flight tickets to save time, but the government is not concerned," he added.
Earlier, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal launched a sharp attack on the Central Government, alleging that the unprecedented disruption was the direct outcome of the Centre's mishandling of the aviation sector.
In a post shared on X, Venugopal said, "550+ IndiGo flights cancelled in a single day is a clear consequence of the Government sleeping at the wheel while a duopoly established a deadly chokehold on India's aviation sector."
Accusing the Modi government of prioritising "corporate greed over passengers' interests," he said lakhs of travellers across major airports were left waiting for hours before being informed that their flights had been cancelled.
"The Modi Government has reduced a once-competitive industry to two players, prioritising corporate greed over passengers' interests. Lakhs of passengers are left helpless at airports for over 8 hours, only to be told their flights are cancelled, "Congress general secretary X post further read.
Venugopal questioned what mechanism the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) had in place to ensure that passengers received full and timely refunds.
"What is the mechanism that @MoCA_GoI has set up to ensure passengers get full refunds for these cancelled flights? How are they ensuring Indigo is looking after passengers' well-being?" he asked.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed airlines, especially IndiGo, to implement measures immediately to resolve the severe disruption to flight schedules and stabilise services without delay, an official statement said.
Two orders have been issued to address problems faced by the public and restore service stability, especially on IndiGo.
The order said, "It is expected: All flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal midnight tonight; Full services and stability should return over the next couple of days; Passengers can track delays, if any, from home through information system installed by IndiGo and others; In the event of flight cancellation IndiGo will ensure automatic full refund for tickets."
"If passengers are stranded, they will be put up at hotels where accommodation has been booked by airlines. Special measures have been taken to ensure senior citizens are not discomfited in any manner. They will be provided with lounge access; Passengers of delayed flights will be provided with refreshments and other necessities; A 24x7 control room at the Ministry of Civil Aviation is constantly monitoring the situation on a time basis," the order further read.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the Central Government is fully alert to the woes of air passengers and is in constant consultation with all stakeholders. "Every possible measure, including rule exemptions as announced by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Friday, will be taken to restore schedules and ensure stability to mitigate the public's woes," the statement added.