IndiGo delays cripple event industry itineraries amid peak season
The disastrous timing is wreaking havoc on the events industry, leaving vendors in a lurch as their carefully scheduled itineraries crumble
The severe operational crisis at IndiGo, marked by extensive flight cancellations and delays has created chaos for travellers amidst the wedding and event season.
Widespread cancellations and severe delays have stranded thousands, resulting in lost baggage and overwhelmed facilities at major airports nationwide.
The crisis peaked on Friday with over 550 domestic and international flights cancelled, leading the airline to suspend all departures from Delhi Airport until midnight Friday.
The disastrous timing is wreaking havoc on the events industry, leaving vendors in a lurch as their carefully scheduled itineraries crumble.
Rasmeen Sawhney, wedding planner of Aroosi Events, recounted her multi-hour struggle to reach Jodhpur for work: “The flight was at 10:30 am but there was no message from the airlines for the delay... We were inside the bus for almost 2 hours, without even letting us go to the washroom... We finally managed to fly at 4:30 and my entire day was wasted.”
Fashion show director Anu Ahuja described a scene of absolute disarray at the airport: “I have a show tomorrow. So many models, designers, and musicians are flying. When I entered the airport in Bangalore, thousands of bags were lying near the counter. Almost 50 counters and just one staff member. They kept saying the flight is on time. But they don’t show on screen that the flight is delayed. I have aimlessly walking at the airport...People were screaming, shouting.”
For individual travellers, the lack of communication and denial of support compounded the distress. Khyati Vora shared her experience after her Nagpur to Mumbai flight was cancelled: “We travelled all the way over 3+ hours... When we got to the airport, the staff said that this flight is cancelled... We asked for compensation, they denied it completely... We are two girls travelling alone and we don’t know anyone in Nagpur now where would we stay?”
Even foreign dignitaries were caught in the snarl. The Ambassador of Singapore to India, Simon Wong, took to social media, tweeting his own frustration: “I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words. HC Wong.”
Even for actors from the showbiz industry travelling for work faced challenges. Singer Rahul Vaidya shared a tired airport selfie, captioning it: "One of the worst days to fly! And we have a show in Kolkata tonight and still don't know how to reach there!" He later posted a photo of multiple Air India tickets, claiming they cost ₹4.2 lakhs just to reach Mumbai, calling it his most expensive domestic travel.
TV actor Nia Sharma described her frustrating and chaotic airport experience on Instagram. She bought a ₹54,000 domestic flight ticket, her most expensive, and was unsure if she would reach her destination. She noted the chaos, stating her team of four had to take three different flights to the same place. After thanking a friend for securing her ticket, she expressed concern for her team, adding, "what will I do without hair, makeup, and my outfit."
What happened?
Major airports across the country descended into turmoil as IndiGo flights faced network disruptions for the fourth consecutive day on Friday. Indigo, India’s largest airline operating over 2,000 flights daily, has been facing pilot shortages after it failed to adapt to new crew rostering rules. The airline initially blamed minor tech glitches, weather, and winter congestion for its flight chaos. However, experts are pointing to strict enforcement of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL), which forced many pilots into rest just as the airline increased winter flights.
On Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) withdrew the FDTL rule barring substitution of leave for weekly rest. IndiGo has asked for time until February 10 to stabilise operations and said all refunds for cancellations will be processed automatically... (offering) full waiver on all cancellations and reschedule requests for bookings between December 5 and 15”.
