New Delhi, Dec. 10 -- The civil aviation minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said that despite assurances from IndiGo to obey the new flight duty time limitations (FDTL) rules, internal rostering disruptions of the airline led to large scale cancellations, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers. The minister was speaking about the massive flight cancellations and delays in the Lok Sabha. He said, " Indigo had clearly assured full compliance with these norms and also confirmed its preparedness to undertake its winter schedule. Despite these assurances, prima facie, it was observed that internal rostering disruptions led to large-scale cancellations, causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers. The ministry advised the regulator to act immediately." He informed the House that the disruption caused by Indigo's recent operational failures was "rapidly stabilizing." "Indigo has been directed to restructure its operations, add reserve crew capacity, improve passenger handling and restore normal schedules without any delay. Enhanced oversight on the ground continues," he told the parliament. "IndiGo's daily flights, which had fallen drastically to 706 on 5th of December, have recovered to over 1800 flights yesterday (on Monday) and are expected to rise further today," he said, assuring that all other airlines continue to operate smoothly across the country and the airports are reporting normal conditions without crowding or distress. He said that refunds, baggage tracing and passenger support measures were under continuous supervision by the Ministry. At the same time, accountability will be ensured, the minister said adding that the DGCA had issued show-cause notices to Indigo's senior leadership and commenced a detailed enforcement investigation. "Depending on the outcome, strict and appropriate action, as empowered under the Aircraft Rules and Act, will be taken. No airline, however large, will be permitted to cause such hardship to passengers through planning failures, non-compliance or non-adherence to statutory provisions," the minister said. Safety in civil aviation is completely non-negotiable, he assured the parliament. "India is a founding member of the International Civil Aviation Organization and remains firmly committed to the highest global standards of safety. Revised flight duty time limitations, scientifically designed to prevent pilot fatigue, are being implemented. These reforms are essentially for passenger safety," the minister stated. Explaining the process of implementing the new rules, Naidu said, "DGCA adopted a phased-wise implementation plan in consultation with all the stakeholders. Phase 1 from 1st July 2025. Phase 2 from 1st November 2025." Inquiry orders and show-cause notices to the CEO and COO of Indigo were issued, he said, adding that passengers' interests have been at the centre of every decision taken by the Government. "We intervened to cap fares so that no passenger would be exploited due to the sudden demand spikes and opportunistic pricing. Indigo was ordered to issue refunds promptly and, as informed by Indigo, more than Rs 750 crore has already reached the passengers," the minister said. Naidu said that re-bookings, if needed, were done without any additional charges to the passengers. "We are monitoring each and every case of baggage handling and ensuring that communication with passengers is both timely and dignified. As informed by Indigo, the process of refunds and baggage handing are over in its final stages," the minister assured the parliament. Our 24x7 control room continues to assist passengers directly whenever needed, he said. "Going forward, the Government is determined to build a more robust and competitive aviation ecosystem. Through our policies, we are encouraging more new airlines to start and operate in India, ensuring fair access to airport capacity and eliminating any possibility of duopoly, controlling connectivity and pricing in our skies," Naidu said. "More airlines mean more choices, more affordability and more resilience for the passengers. In the last one decade, Indian aviation has evolved to become more inclusive. India has emerged as the world's fastest-growing aviation market, with year-on-year passenger growth of around 12 per cent," he said. India is already the third-biggest domestic aviation market, with a huge potential for future growth, he said adding that the policies of the government will ensure that this growth trajectory is kept intact. "Operations are stabilising fast, safety remains fully in force, Indigo is being held accountable, passengers' convenience and dignity are being protected, and long-term measures are underway to make India's aviation sector stronger and more passenger-centric. The Government will remain fully vigilant until normalcy is achieved and will continue to ensure that every passenger in India travels safely, comfortably and with the respect they deserve," the minister concluded. Assam Congress president and MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "The government has given statements in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha on the issue of IndiGo for the past 2 days. According to the government, the entire responsibility is of the owner of a private company... The entire opposition was dissatisfied with the (civil aviation) minister's statement in the Lok Sabha, which is why we staged a walkout... We demand that a discussion be held on this..."...