Why IndiGo Faces "Serious Analysis" After Flight Disruptions, Says Shashi Tharoor

December 29, 2025 at 03:16 PM•2 min read

IndiGo faces a Competition Commission of India (CCI) inquiry and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's criticism for recent flight disruptions and operational failures, demanding accountability.

Key Points

1Congress MP Shashi Tharoor demanded "serious analysis and accountability" from IndiGo for operational failures, citing competitor success in pilot recruitment.
2The Competition Commission of India (CCI) launched an inquiry on December 18, 2025, to investigate potential abuse of market dominance under the Competition Act, 2002.
3The crisis stemmed from a severe pilot shortage and the failure to implement new DGCA Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, leading to over 5,000 flight cancellations.
4IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stated that operations have stabilized to 2,200 flights, assuring employees that "the worst is behind us."

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sharply criticized IndiGo Airlines following a period of widespread IndiGo flight disruptions. Speaking on Monday, Tharoor called for "serious analysis and some aviation sector accountability" regarding the airline’s recent operational failures. The Member of Parliament expressed disappointment over the situation. He stated that the airline failed in its IndiGo operational responsibilities.

Tharoor highlighted a key disparity in airline pilot recruitment and scheduling. He noted that Air India and other smaller carriers fulfilled their obligations. In contrast, only IndiGo seemed to fail in this duty, he told ANI. Official data shows that the Air India Group held approximately 27% of the Indian aviation market share in November 2025.

Regulatory Scrutiny Intensifies

This political criticism follows a major regulatory move. On December 18, the Competition Commission of India inquiry (CCI) was launched. The CCI decided to proceed with an inquiry into the flight disruption issue.

The regulator is acting under the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002. The inquiry focuses on potential abuse of market dominance by the carrier. IndiGo holds a dominant domestic market share of over 60%.

The Operational Crisis Root Cause

The root cause of the IndiGo flight disruptions was a severe crew shortage. The airline failed to prepare for new, stricter Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. These new rules took effect on November 1, 2025.

Over 5,000 flights were cancelled in early December 2025.
The chaos stranded thousands of passengers nationwide.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) intervened. The DGCA ordered a 10% cut to IndiGo's winter flight schedule.

IndiGo’s Response and Outlook

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers addressed employees internally following the crisis. He acknowledged the very challenging period. Elbers stated that the airline has emerged stronger. He claimed that "the worst is behind us."

Operations have since stabilized. The carrier restored its network to 2,200 daily flights. Elbers praised staff for standing united during the recent disruptions. The airline is now accelerating recruitment efforts. This aims to restore full operational capability. For more updates on this and other commercial aviation news, visit flying.flights.

The ongoing CCI inquiry and political pressure underscore the aviation sector accountability required of dominant carriers. The outcome will set a precedent for managing operational crises. It will also define compliance with regulatory changes.