Cries, never-ending queues and despair: Passengers bear brunt as IndiGo cancellations enter 5th day

IndiGo faces backlash as over 100 flights are cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and confused across airports in India.

Air travellers across the country endured yet another day of disruption in their travel plans as IndiGo flight cancellations continued on Saturday, affecting over 440 flights.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation stepped in with directives for refunds, accommodations, and support as IndiGo struggled to restore normalcy. (REUTERS)

Thousands of passengers were left stranded on terminals across airports. Passengers reported confusion, poor communication and hour-long queues at airports already struggling to cope with the holiday rush.

Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports experienced some of the worst fallouts this morning, with nearly 100 cancellations in the first two airports, and over 120 cancellations in the southern city.

Hyderabad wasn’t far behind. The GMR group, which manages the airport, said IndiGo had scrapped 69 flights, 43 departures and 26 arrivals.

The situation turned particularly distressing in the Northeast. At Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, passengers were seen waiting for hours without clarity on alternative arrangements.

A soldier travelling with his family said they had been blindsided, adding that they found out their flight to Silchar no longer existed only after reaching the airport. Another traveller described a cycle of cancellations that left him stranded for two consecutive days.

"My IndiGo flight, scheduled for 6.30 pm yesterday, was cancelled. They rescheduled it for 11 am today, but that too has been cancelled now. Airlines says that they will either initiate a refund or we will have to wait," another passenger said, as quoted by ANI.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport also saw packed corridors and visibly distressed crowds. Many had flown in from abroad only to discover that their onward connections had evaporated without warning.

One arriving passenger shared, “I was out of India, and I landed here just this morning. I had a flight scheduled for Nagpur at 10.45 am...But this time, I am surprised; when I reached here, they said that the flight is cancelled...IndiGo has not given any further intimation. There is a huge crowd here.”

Another traveller urged calm amid the mounting frustration, saying, “We should remain calm. This is not a joke; there is a genuine problem, and that is why there is such a huge problem at hand. We should cooperate and help so that a solution comes out. At least we should not create more problems.”

Videos shared by ANI showed never-ending queues at airports and passengers in distress. Watch:

Government steps in as complaints rise

With public anger growing, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a stern directive to airlines, particularly IndiGo, to immediately implement corrective measures. Two advisories were released, outlining what passengers can expect as the situation stabilises.

According to the ministry:

– Schedules should begin normalising by midnight, with full restoration expected over the next couple of days.

– Passengers will receive automatic full refunds in the event of cancellations.

– Those stranded will be shifted to hotels booked by airlines.

– Senior citizens will be given lounge access to avoid discomfort.

– Travellers on delayed flights must be provided with refreshments and essential support.

– A 24x7 control room at the ministry is monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

The government said it is “fully alert” to the difficulties passengers are facing and is coordinating with all stakeholders to bring operations back on track. Emergency exemptions announced by the DGCA on Friday are expected to further ease the burden on carriers scrambling to restore normalcy.

(With inputs from ANI)