Former CM Prithviraj Chavan slams Modi Govt over aviation monopoly

Maharashtra’s former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday came down heavily on the Narendra Modi Government for enabling “unprecedented monopoly” in the aviation sector — an unhealthy development that may prove to be “dangerous” for the country in the long run.

Chavan — who was a Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the Manmohan Singh Government — said that the growing dominance of a single airline like IndiGo posed a “serious threat” to the national economy and adversely affected passenger interests.

Talking to media persons here, Chavan alluded to the Indigo crisis that has resulted in widespread flight disruptions and severe passenger distress and rooted for splitting the 20-year-old private airline into two companies to ensure fair competition.

Averring that two major players now dominate India’s air travel — IndiGo with 65 per cent market share and the Tata Group (Air India and AI Express) with nearly 30 per cent share, Chavan said that “a dominance by just two carriers “is extremely dangerous” for a sector that once had 10 competing airlines. Chavan said that the time had come for the Government to set up its own national airline to prevent monopolies in the sky.

Chavan said the current situation in the country’s aviation sector was a fallout of the ‘systemic indulgence’ granted to IndiGo by the Government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“Both Government and DGCA have failed to enforce their own rules and regulations, compounding the operational failures and the nationwide breakdown,” he said.

“Today, 40 crore passengers depend on these two mega-airlines, leaving the public vulnerable to cascading crises whenever one system falters. The Government must balance the situation by launching a national carrier. It was a wrong policy to let a crucial sector like aviation fall entirely into private hands,” Chavan said. Hitting out at the Competition Commission of India (CCI), the former Union Minister said that the CCI had “miserably failed” in safeguarding consumer rights, demanding it should be dismantled and replaced by a stronger watchdog with real authority.

Referring to reports in a section of the media, Chavan demanded to know if the IndiGo’s Rs 56 crore donation to the ruling BJP through electoral bonds had influenced regulatory decisions.

“Was it a contribution or a bribe for a quid pro quo? The public deserves answers,” Chavan asked, while demanding a probe into the allegation.

Dwelling upon the Adani Defence & Aerospace (ADA)’s November 25, 2025, purchase of the Flight Simulation Technique Centre Pvt Ltd (FSTC), India’s largest pilot training academy, Chavan chose to link this with the Civil Aviation Minister’s recent statements that India will require 30,000 pilots within the next decade.

“Within days after the FSTC takeover by Adani Group, the IndiGo crisis started. The acquisition of FSTC by the Adani group is likely to consolidate its control over yet another critical part of the aviation ecosystem, Chavan said.

Among other things, Chavan made seven specific demands — including the resignation of Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, splitting up of IndiGo and the Government to establish a national carrier to demolish aviation monopoly and removal of DGCA officers responsible for failing to avert the IndiGo crisis.

Chavan’s other demands include: immediate suspension of IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers, setting up of a high-level inquiry with a 15-day deadline to submit its report, disbanding/restructuring the CCI watchdog and implementing the long-pending Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) proposed during the UPA era.