चंद्रबाबू नायडू ने आलोचकों पर निशाना साधा, Indigo की उड़ान रद्दगी से राष्ट्रीय संकट

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu slams political critics for sensationalising a national crisis, says 'they throw mud on us to escape own wrongdoings' Responding to questions on the nationwide disruption caused by Indigo’s mass flight cancellations, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu clarified that the crisis stemmed from the airline’s failure to comply with Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms recommended by the Parliament Standing Committee. HCM Naidu said the FDTL rules clearly prescribe limits on pilot duty hours, mandatory rest periods, and crew working conditions. “Pilots cannot exceed certain duty hours; they need adequate rest. Otherwise, operations become unsafe,” he noted. He pointed out that Indigo, being a low-cost carrier, had not recruited adequate staff over the years. With the implementation of FDTL norms, the airline was forced to comply leading to 550 flights being cancelled on December 4 and nearly 600 on December 5. “This sudden disruption has caused severe inconvenience to passengers due to Indigo’s poor roster planning. That is where they committed the mistake,” Naidu said. He added that the Government of India has since given temporary relief by easing certain FDTL conditions, and normalcy is expected to return soon. Since Indigo operates 60–65% of all domestic flights, the Centre issued firm directions to refund the money to all affected passengers and they have refunded most of the money. Slamming critics for politicising the national crisis, CM Naidu said, “They want to sensational this crisis. They are throwing mud at us to escape their own wrongdoings. This matter lies purely in the Centre’s domain. As a Chief Minister, I don’t interfere in the performance of Central Ministers that is the Prime Minister’s prerogative.” He reiterated that both the Centre and the airline are now taking corrective steps to stabilise operations.