Indigo Crisis: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Blames 'Gross Mismanagement' for Flight Chaos

In a heated debate on the ongoing Indigo Airlines crisis, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has squarely blamed the airline for the operational meltdown. Speaking to India Today, Naidu stated, 'The mistake lies at IndiGo and their management, how they have done the roster.' The discussion, hosted by Rajdeep Sardesai, analyses whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) failed in its supervisory role or if the fault lies entirely with the airline's failure to hire pilots. Data reveals Indigo's pilot strength declined from 5,463 in March to 5,085 in December despite new FDTL norms. Experts including Former Air India Executive Director Jitendra Bhargava, Former Joint Secretary of Civil Aviation Sanat Kaul, and Aviation Expert Sanjay Lazar debate the root causes, with Divine Air Chairman Dr. Sumeet Suseelan alleging the crisis might have been 'pre-planned' to arm-twist the government.