New Delhi/Bengaluru: India witnessed extraordinary scenes of travel chaos as Indigo Airlines cancelled between 500 and 600 flights per day over the past four days, triggering massive distress across airports nationwide. Passengers described the situation as “unprecedented”, with airports turning into “railway stations” and “bus stands” due to extreme overcrowding, confusion, protests, and breakdown of basic services.
For many travellers—including infants, senior citizens, patients, and families rushing for weddings or funerals—the experience turned into an ordeal.
“This has never happened in aviation history” — Passengers break down at airports
From Bengaluru to Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata, visuals showed crowds shouting, crying, demanding answers, and staging spontaneous protests.
A mother stranded with a newborn said:
“It was very difficult for my baby. He cried the whole night. We had no food, no water, nothing.”
Another passenger, furious over his wedding plans collapsing, shouted:
“Indigo is not No.1. It is Number Zero today. You cancelled my flight, can you give me my precious moment back?”
Medical emergencies, missed funerals, shattered family events
The crisis hit passengers in deeply personal ways:
• Woman pleading for sanitary pads at the airport
A father begged staff for help as his daughter suffered bleeding:
“No father should face this situation. They didn’t even give her a sanitary pad.”
• Mother with a one-month-old baby stranded for 24 hours
Her luggage—with food, medicines and essentials—was locked away, and staff refused to release the bags.
• Child’s naming ceremony cancelled
A father travelling from Bengaluru to Jaipur for his son’s naming ceremony broke down when his flight was cancelled without warning.
• Senior citizen denied medical travel
A man accompanying his mother—suffering from shock and joint pain—said Indigo “shattered” their emergency travel plan to Ahmedabad.
• Ayyappa devotees abandoned mid-way
Pilgrims flying from Hyderabad were offloaded in Bengaluru and left without assistance.
• Funeral rituals blocked
A Bengaluru family travelling to Haridwar to immerse their father’s ashes was stranded:
“Not even for a funeral did we get a flight. No message, no alert—nothing.”
• Marriage reception forced to happen online
In Hubballi, the groom’s family had to conduct the aratisu (welcoming ritual) online, after the bridal party was stuck at Bhubaneswar due to a grounding of their Indigo aircraft.
Why did this crisis occur? DGCA’s new “Week Off” rules backfire
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had introduced new “Week Off Rules” for crew scheduling starting November 1.
Airlines allege that the rule caused crew shortages, forcing Indigo to cancel hundreds of flights.
Amid rising public anger, the DGCA withdrew the rule—but the damage was already done.
Indigo apologises, suspends operations till midnight
With pressure mounting, Indigo announced it is cancelling all its remaining flights until midnight, and issued a public apology.
But for thousands stranded across the country, the apology came too late.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: ಇಂಡಿಗೋ ವಿಮಾನ ರದ್ದು: ದೇಶವ್ಯಾಪಿ ಗೊಂದಲ, ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ನರಕಯಾತನೆ – ಇಷ್ಟು ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕ್ರೈಸಿಸ್ ಭಾರತೀಯ ವಿಮಾನಯಾನ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲೇ ಮೊದಲ ಬಾರಿ
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