Passenger continues to face harassment nationwide even after a week of IndiGo crisis. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking from Kolkata Airport, sharply criticised the Centre for their failure to curb the issue on time and demanded compensation for affected flyers.
Mamata said, “If a passenger buys a ticket and the flight doesn’t operate, the airline must take full responsibility. Compensation should be mandatory for cancellations. I believe passengers could even go to court to seek justice.”
Agreed To Pilot Needing Rest
She alleged that IndiGo suspended services following directives from the Centre. While acknowledging that pilots require adequate rest and the airline faces overtime issues, she criticised the authorities for failing to plan ahead.
“They should have prepared at least 15–30 days earlier or arranged alternatives. They knew passengers would suffer the most. They simply thought whatever happens, we’ll handle it during elections. This is no way to run a country,” she said.
Taking a swipe at the Union government, she added, “Most of them go abroad frequently, but have no time to address problems within the country. This is very unfortunate.”
Passenger Suffering Peaks Despite DGCA Intervention
IndiGo’s nationwide disruption, which started on Wednesday, intensified from Friday. Display boards continue to show rapidly changing statuses, with flights being cancelled or delayed without timely updates, leading to widespread chaos.
Under pressure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) relaxed certain rules on Friday to ease the situation. However, even after a week, the distress of passengers remains severe.
