There is collusion between govt and airline companies: CPI-M MP John Brittas on IndiGo crisis

New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas alleged that there is a collusion between the government and the airline companies in the wake of the disruption caused by the recent IndiGo operational crisis and widespread flight cancellations.
He said that he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a JPC or a judicial inquiry into the whole gamut of issues.
Speaking to ANI, John Brittas said, "I have written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a JPC or a judicial inquiry into the whole gamut of issues that happened with regard to the flight disruption. It is not a simple matter of the cancellation of a few flights. For two weeks this will continue. Every passenger will be forced to shell out Rs 10,000 to 15000 extra. We have per day 1 million passengers travelling. This means it is a loot of over 1 lakh crore that is happening."
"There is a collusion between the government and the airline companies. If the government is sincere, it will come out with a probe, either by the JPC or by the judicial commission. It's surprising that, despite this huge debacle, not even a single action was taken against anyone," he added.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday said that IndiGo Airlines has responded to the Show-Cause notice on the airline's fiasco that led to widespread cancellations last week.
DGCA, in a release, stated that the airlines has requested more time to respond to the Show-Cause notice, stating that it is "realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s)" at this time, considering the "complexity and vast scale of operations."
IndiGo suggested some preliminary contributing factors that led to this fiasco, listing the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) order as one of them.
"IndiGo states it is realistically not possible to pinpoint the exact cause(s) at this time due to the complexity and vast scale of operations. They note that the DGCA's manual allows a fifteen-day response timeline for SCNs, suggesting more time is needed to conduct a comprehensive 'Root Cause Analysis' (RCA). The complete RCA will be shared once finished," the release said.
Along with the FDTL order, IndiGo mentioned other contributing factors such as "minor technical glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather conditions."
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told Rajya Sabha earlier in the day that the problems faced by IndiGo Airlines passengers were linked to the airline's internal crew rostering and operational planning.
He said that thorough consultations have been held with all stakeholders concerning Flight Time Limitations (FTTL) guidelines, and emphasised that there will be no compromise on safety.
The Minister said stringent Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) exist to protect passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations.
"For all passengers who have faced difficulties due to delays and cancellations, strict Civil Aviation Requirements (CARs) are in place. Airline operators have to follow these requirements. Regarding the software issue, an inquiry has been made. Continuous technology upgradation happens in this sector. Our vision from the government is to have top global standards for the aviation sector in the country," he said. (ANI)