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IndiGo Chaos at Delhi Airport: Passengers Protest Over Repeated Flight Delays & Cancellations

Passengers at Delhi airport protested after an IndiGo flight to Purnea was delayed, having already been cancelled the previous day. The airline cited bad weather, though some travelers alleged a lack of available pilots as the cause. This incident follows recent large-scale disruptions, including 118 cancellations in late December due to weather and operational constraints. IndiGo has faced ongoing challenges during the fog season, with the DGCA noting reduced visibility regularly affects winter flight operations.

Key Points: IndiGo Flight Delays Spark Passenger Protests at Delhi Airport

  • Flight delayed after prior cancellation
  • Weather and operational reasons cited
  • Recent history of mass cancellations
  • DGCA fog window impacts winter travel
2 min read

IndiGo flight delay sparks chaos at Delhi airport, passengers protest over repeated cancellations

Passengers protested at Delhi airport after an IndiGo flight to Purnea faced repeated delays and cancellations, citing weather and operational issues.

"Some passengers alleged that airline staff later informed them that there was no pilot available to operate the flight. - Passenger Reports"

New Delhi, Jan 3

Passengers at Delhi airport created a ruckus on Saturday after their IndiGo flight to Purnea was delayed, triggering anger among travellers who said the service had already faced disruptions a day earlier.

According to passengers, IndiGo flight 6E 9076, scheduled to operate from Delhi to Purnea, was delayed on Saturday after having already been cancelled on Friday, forcing them to reschedule their tickets.

The repeated disruption led to furious scenes at the boarding counter, with passengers protesting the delay in departure.

Several passengers said the flight had been cancelled on Friday as well, following which they had rearranged their travel plans.

On Saturday, they claimed, the airline cited bad weather as the reason for the delay. Some passengers further alleged that airline staff later informed them that there was no pilot available to operate the flight.

Meanwhile, IndiGo had earlier in the day issued advisories warning passengers about possible delays and cancellations of several flights due to "reduced visibility and fog" at multiple airports.

The incident comes just days after IndiGo, on December 29, 2024, cancelled as many as 118 flights across its network due to a mix of bad weather and operational reasons.

Of these, six services were cancelled due to operational constraints, while the remaining flights were called off owing to adverse weather conditions at different airports.

IndiGo has been grappling with large-scale disruptions over the past month.

In early December last year, the airline cancelled thousands of flights, including around 1,600 on a single day, after court-mandated stricter flight duty and rest period norms for pilots came into force. The cancellations left lakhs of passengers stranded at airports across the country.

Since the onset of the fog season on December 10, the airline has continued to cancel a significant number of flights.

On December 25, IndiGo cancelled 67 flights to various destinations, citing weather-related issues. On Saturday alone, another 57 flights from several airports were cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has declared the period from December 10 to February 10 as the official fog window for the winter season, during which flight operations are often affected by low visibility.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Feel so bad for the passengers. Purnea is not a metro route, so options are limited. Being stuck in Delhi for two days must be a nightmare, especially if you have family or work waiting. IndiGo, please have a proper backup plan during fog season. This is unacceptable. 😔
A
Aman W
While the passenger anger is justified, we also have to understand that fog is a genuine issue in North India. Safety should come first. But the airline's communication is the real problem. Confusing reasons (weather vs. no pilot) just makes people lose trust.
S
Sarah B
I was caught in the December cancellations. The scene at the airport was pure chaos. No proper information, long queues for refunds, and hotel vouchers were like winning a lottery. IndiGo's scale of operations is huge, but their crisis management is stuck in the 1990s.
V
Vikram M
The root cause is the pilot duty norms. Since the new rules, scheduling has gone for a toss. Airlines didn't plan properly for this transition. Now common passengers are paying the price. Government should have given a longer buffer period for implementation.
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Kavya N
It's high time passengers get automatic compensation for such repeated disruptions, like they have in Europe. Just an "advisory" is not enough. If you know fog season is from Dec-Feb, why aren't you prepared? This is taking advantage of the fact that we have limited choices.

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