Domestic airlines cancelled 6,890 flights affecting over 9.66 lakh passengers in Dec: Govt data
New Delhi (PTI): As many as 6,890 flights were cancelled in December affecting more than 9.66 lakh passengers, with IndiGo accounting for more than 82 per cent of the total cancelled services, according to official data.
IndiGo faced massive operational disruptions in early December, following which the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) curtailed the airline's winter schedule by 10 per cent. The watchdog has imposed fines totalling Rs 22.20 crore, among other regulatory actions.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Thursday said the primary causes for the disruption were over-optimisation of operations, inadequate regulatory preparedness along with deficiencies in system software support and shortcomings in management structure and operational control on the part of IndiGo.
"Additionally, during December 2025, a considerable number of flights were cancelled by all airlines, due to adverse weather related issues," the minister said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
In December, a total of 9,66,864 passengers were affected as 6,890 flights were cancelled, as per data provided along with the written reply.
IndiGo alone cancelled 5,689 flights impacting 9,02,384 passengers while Air India Group cancelled 924 services affecting 43,278 passengers last month.
The data showed that SpiceJet and Akasa Air cancelled 79 and 39 flights, impacting 11,929 and 5,673 passengers, respectively.
State-owned Alliance Air cancelled 63 flights affecting 2,463 passengers whereas IndiaOne Air cancelled 71 services impacting 408 passengers, according to the data.
Star Air and Fly91 cancelled 17 and 8 flights, affecting 386 and 343 passengers, respectively, in December.
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Special squad to flush out illegal Bangladeshis: K'taka min
Bengaluru (PTI): A special squad will be formed to flush out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Thursday.
Replying to a calling attention by MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in the state Assembly, Reddy said the agents who bring Bangladeshis to the state will also be arrested.
Reddy said that when he held the home portfolio in the past, a special squad was formed to identify Bangladeshis in agriculture estates.
"If needed, we will form a special squad, identify the illegal Bangladeshis in the state and send them back," the minister assured Yatnal, who is an expelled BJP legislator.
"We will start a drive to flush out the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to deport them. We will also book and arrest the agents, who bring Bangladeshis to Karnataka," Reddy said.
Yatnal claimed that there are about 25 lakh illegal migrants from Bangladeshis in the state who are working in the agriculture estates, shopping malls and security agencies and demanded the government's response.
Reddy said there were 370 illegal Bangladeshis in Karnataka of which 213 people have been sent back while action is being taken against the rest.
Those who have not been repatriated have been kept at the Foreign Detention Centre since they were involved in some criminal cases.
The minister said that people from the north east and West Bengal were being mistaken for Bangladeshis.
"Karnataka has people from the north east and not Bangladesh. There are about eight lakh to 10 lakh people from West Bengal, seven lakh to eight lakh from Bihar, people from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Bengaluru," Reddy said.
He blamed the Centre for the illegal Bangladeshi migrants.
"Where do the Bangladeshis come from. Bangladesh is not next to Karnataka. The Centre should stop the illegal migrants. Why are they letting Bangladeshis in Karnataka," he charged.
Yatnal welcomed the formation of the squad as he noted that illegal Bangladeshis pose serious security threat to India as they could be "underworld dons and terrorists" .
The MLA alleged that the state intelligence department has completely failed as they could not detect the actual number of Bangladeshis residing in the state.
"Over 25 lakh Bangladeshis are there in the state and they are involved in various kinds of crime. The way these Bangladeshis are burning Hindus alive in their country, that kind of situation should not arise in Karnataka," the Vijayapura MLA said.
He also charged that the police book cases against those who try to find out illegal Bangladeshis, a charge the minister rejected.
Yatnal also demanded protection to those who provide information as they should not be troubled. In reply, Reddy said, "let them provide information but they should not take law into their hands."
