Hyderabad: BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao criticised the Centre over the IndiGo crisis and said airports looked worse than railway stations during the past five days. He argued that excessive power in a few hands caused serious harm and created unstable conditions across aviation services. The collapse, he said, offered a clear example of the risks linked to centralised control.
According to him, thousands of passengers struggled at airports after IndiGo halted flights. He explained that the dispute began after the Civil Aviation Ministry framed duty-hour rules to prevent pilot fatigue. Although the new norms required reduced flying hours each week, major airlines did not adjust their systems. IndiGo and Air India, he said, dominated the sector and resisted change despite the one-year notice period.
KTR links the IndiGo crisis to failures in aviation oversight
KTR said IndiGo cancelled nearly one thousand flights in a single day because no alternative planning was in place. As a result, airports turned chaotic and resembled crowded bus stands. He added that the Aviation Ministry retreated from its own regulation after facing pressure from the dominant carriers. The rollback, he noted, came without penalties, even though the companies refused to comply with rules meant to improve safety.
He warned that concentrated control across airports and seaports created similar risks. If a single operator failed, he said, the entire system would collapse. He described the ongoing situation as a strong reminder of what could happen when essential infrastructure remained under the control of only a few groups.