Day 4: 34 IndiGo flights cancelled at Chandigarh airport

Several passengers alleged that the cancellations were updated only shortly before departure time, forcing them to remain at the airport for hours with no clarity about rescheduling or refunds. Many were seen waiting in long queues, seeking alternate bookings, while others opted to cancel trips altogether.

With the IndiGo turmoil entering its fourth day on Friday, 34 flights, including departures and arrivals, were cancelled at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Mohali, leaving passengers stranded, frustrated and scrambling for last-minute alternatives. In all, 54 flights were scheduled for the day as per airport data. The airline has already announced the cancellation of 10 flights on Saturday (see box).

The maximum delay was reported on the Chandigarh-Indore flight, which was delayed by nine hours. (HT File)

Alongside the cancellations, 18 flights were delayed. Some other flights were yet to take off or land at the time of filing the report.

The maximum delay was reported on the Chandigarh-Indore flight, which was delayed by nine hours.

Several passengers alleged that the cancellations were updated only shortly before departure time, forcing them to remain at the airport for hours with no clarity about rescheduling or refunds. Many were seen waiting in long queues, seeking alternate bookings, while others opted to cancel trips altogether.

Kuldeep Singh, a city based resident, said, “I work as a professor in one of the universities in Bangalore. I had come home for the holidays. I am supposed to resume my work tomorrow but now I am stranded here, having no clue as to when I will reach the city. The airline has poor communication and inadequate assistance at the terminal. We are left with no alternatives.”

The Chandigarh–Pune flight, scheduled to depart at 9.15pm on Thursday, finally took off at 7.50am on Friday, forcing passengers to spend the night at the airport.

Delayed luggage adds to chaos

Adding to the chaos, passengers arriving at the airport also reported delayed luggage delivery, with many still waiting for their baggage hours after landing. A total of seven Indigo flights landed at the Chandigarh airport on Friday.

Kritika Singh, a passenger from Mumbai, said, “First, my flight to Chandigarh was delayed for four hours and now we haven’t got our luggage. The crew is saying that they will deliver our luggage at the registered address in a day or two. This is total harassment.”

Airport CEO Ajay Verma confirmed receiving complaints regarding luggage delays and said that in some cases, baggage has been transported through separate flights. He said, “This is because in some flights, the luggage is transported through a different flight. Due to complete operational mismanagement in the airlines, many flights got cancelled. The luggage is not missing and airlines will deliver it at passengers’ homes.”

Verma added that the Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHAIL) has taken multiple passenger-centric measures to minimise inconvenience and ensure smooth facilitation. “We are having regular follow-ups with the airline and maintaining close coordination with CISF and airline staff for efficient crowd handling. Food arrangements are being provided by the airline, while dedicated queue management systems are in place to prevent crowding,” said Verma.

Fares of other airlines skyrocket

Meanwhile, amid IndiGo’s delays and cancellations, the fares of other airlines surged due to limited seat availability.

For Friday evening, an Alliance Air flight from Chandigarh to Delhi, scheduled to depart at 5.50pm, was priced at ₹9,500. An Air India flight on the same route, with a scheduled departure at 6.40 pm, cost ₹16,000. On routine days, an IndiGo one-way ticket to the route usually ranges between ₹2,500 and ₹4,000.

Travel to other cities has also become a costly affair. A Chandigarh to Bengaluru ticket on December 6 (Saturday) showed an astonishing ₹65,000 for a single seat on Air India. Similarly, passengers headed to Mumbai from Chandigarh on the same date are being quoted fares around ₹43,000 for a one-way booking.

Chandigarh-based travel agent Manjit Singh said, “With IndiGo being the largest carrier of domestic flights, other airlines are now surging the prices, at least for another two-three days. As of now, the fares look reasonable from Monday but looking at the situation, the prices may go up further in a few hours,” he added.