IndiGo flight chaos enters Day 3: Cancellations, massive delays leave passengers stranded nationwide
PTC Web Desk: IndiGo’s network continued to reel under severe operational stress on Thursday as large-scale delays and cancellations triggered chaos at airports across the country. This marked the third consecutive day of disruptions for India’s largest airline, with passengers flooding social media with visuals of overcrowded terminals and long waiting lines.
The crisis deepened amid a shortage of crew members, an airline spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, adding that IndiGo’s services had been “significantly impacted for the past two days” due to multiple factors. These include technology-related snags, adverse weather conditions, heavy airport congestion and the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) introduced in November.
On Thursday, cancellations and delays surged at key airports. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport alone, more than 30 outbound IndiGo flights were cancelled, according to media reports. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport reported 73 cancellations.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport also braced for disruptions, with airport sources indicating that up to 33 outgoing and 35 incoming IndiGo flights may be cancelled throughout the day. Similar trends were witnessed in Mumbai and Kolkata, where several IndiGo services were either delayed or expected to be pulled off the schedule.
For thousands of passengers, the prolonged disruption has been nothing short of harrowing. Social media platforms have been flooded with complaints, images, and videos from stranded travellers sharing their distressing experiences.
One passenger wrote that they had spent more than 12 hours at Hyderabad Airport waiting for a delayed Pune-bound flight, with “no action or clarity from IndiGo.” Another user on X (formerly Twitter) said their flight had been delayed by 22 hours without proper communication or compensation.
Why IndiGo’s operations are under stress
While IndiGo has cited “operational issues” as the primary cause, aviation insiders say the newly implemented FDTL norms have significantly strained airline schedules. The rules, issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), aim to reduce pilot fatigue by mandating:
These requirements have increased crew rest times and reduced pilot availability, intensifying the ongoing manpower crunch within the airline.The flight operations of IndiGo, the country's largest airline, were disrupted at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and other cities.
- With inputs from agencies
