Chennai, Dec 6 (IANS) Launching a sharp attack on the Centre over the air travel crisis, the Congress on Saturday alleged that the ongoing disruption in IndiGo services is not accidental but the outcome of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government’s sustained attempt to create a duopoly in the aviation sector.
Pointing to the nationwide travel crisis over the past couple of days, Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, Sasikanth Senthil, in a statement issued here, said that IndiGo's cancellation of more than 1,000 flights on December 5, 2025, followed by hundreds more on December 6, has brought India’s air travel system to an unprecedented collapse.
He described the disruption as a moment that has exposed weaknesses long ignored by the Centre. He said the consequences of this policy were now unfolding in full public view.
“This crisis is not a natural breakdown; it is the predictable fallout of the BJP government that has been hell-bent on crushing competition, rewarding favourites, and reshaping an entire national industry to suit a tiny circle of corporate allies,” the bureaucrat-turned politician said.
He argued that aviation, which depends on tight safety rules and consistent oversight, has been forced into instability due to a policy framework that weakens regulatory checks while strengthening the grip of a handful of private players.
Senthil said the government’s handling of aviation safety has revealed the scale of its neglect. He noted that the government released the Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules on January 8, 2024 and partially implemented them on July 1, 2025. He criticised the decision to suspend these safety rules in the middle of a sector-wide breakdown.
“This is not just irresponsible; it is outrageous. By scrapping rules specifically designed to prevent pilot fatigue, the BJP government has allegedly jeopardised passenger safety and thrown the well-being of cockpit crew into uncertainty. Instead of stabilising the situation, they have deepened it, proving once again that safety and accountability mean nothing to this administration when weighed against the convenience of their preferred corporations,” he said.
The Congress MP added that the government’s inclination towards building monopolies has become visible across major infrastructure sectors.
Senthil said the trend shows how policy, regulation, and public assets are being used to strengthen a select conglomerate in aviation, telecom, ports, and other fields.
The Thiruvallur MP linked the IndiGo crisis to the controversial electoral bonds, which the Supreme Court has struck down as unconstitutional and illegal, saying the disclosures further darken the picture. He alleged that the data shows InterGlobe group entities purchased around Rs 36 crore in electoral bonds, and its promoter, Rahul Bhatia, purchased about Rs 20 crore, most of which went to the BJP.
“It raises legitimate questions about how a sector once filled with healthy competition has been reduced to a fragile duopoly, and whether financial proximity to the BJP has played any role in shaping this distorted landscape. These concerns cannot be brushed aside; they strike at the heart of public trust and democratic integrity,” Senthil said.
He argued that the present chaos is the result of a system built on crony capitalism. “Aviation is the latest casualty. Telecommunications, infrastructure, cement, ports, the pattern repeats everywhere.
The government’s actions suggest a dangerous commitment to empowering a select set of corporations while suffocating every other player, ultimately leaving India hostage to a handful of private giants,” he alleged.
Calling the situation a government-made disaster, he said it has damaged the aviation sector, endangered passengers, destabilised markets, and shown the government’s disregard for transparency and competition. The Congress MP added that India is now paying the price for a regime that places corporate alliances above national welfare and electoral gains above economic stability.
--IANS
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