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Hundreds of flight cancellations and long waits proved to be a nightmare for thousands of passengers travelling with IndiGo flights on December 2nd and 3rd, 2025, as witnessed by airports in Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Delhi and more. The airport was chaotic. There were no seating arrangements, food or drinking water available. Long lines formed for mobile charging stations, and people sat on the ground, spending the night on the floor. The situation was even worse than the city bus stands and railway stations. The wait and the chaos at the airport caused people to become ill. The condition of the elderly, children, and women was worse and pathetic, and a few were even hospitalised.
Can air passengers remain poor? Some missed their connecting flights, business meetings, and even the groom couldn’t reach their wedding venue; room bookings had to be cancelled, and many other losses were reported. On the other hand, other airlines were eyeing the passengers’ pockets like vultures. The fare from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai ranged from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 48,000. Fares to other cities were also skyrocketing. Taxi drivers were charging exorbitant fares, and hotels located near the airport had also increased their room tariffs, taking advantage of the situation caused by the airline disruption. The air passengers were helpless, and no senior IndiGo Airlines official was available on the spot. Those present were constantly given false information. For example, on 2 December, flight number 6E-5127 from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai, which was scheduled to depart at 9:00 PM, was initially delayed. Then at 11:40, it was announced that the flight had already departed from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar, and again at 11:44, the flight was cancelled. Following the cancellation of the flight at Bhubaneswar Airport, passengers were offered Plan “B” (more information https://www.goindigo.in/plan-b.html), which was not acceptable.
Furthermore, passengers were repeatedly misled and provided with incorrect information. Will IndiGo Airlines’ apology, accompanied by a full-page advertisement in a newspaper or on their social media platform, ‘We are sorry,’ compensate for the mental agony and financial loss suffered by passengers? It’s a question for management professionals, policymakers, and even business schools to develop a case study. What is most interesting and distressing is the IndiGo Airlines spokesperson’s statement that some flights were cancelled and others delayed due to some minor technical glitches, adverse weather conditions, airport congestion and the implementation of FDTL rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations). Isn’t this statement insensitive and insulting to the feelings of passengers? FDTL was implemented on 1 November, but the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), gave all airlines two years to implement it. Other airlines implemented it on time and are not facing any problems. IndiGo is well aware of the FDTL rules and has prioritised cost-cutting over implementation for years. The airline’s claim that it was unaware of this potential turbulence is a blatant lie and a baseless argument.
However, IndiGo’s on-time performance score fell from 80 per cent to 35 per cent on 2 December, the lowest among all Indian airlines. Approximately 38 IndiGo flights were cancelled at Delhi Airport between 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on 2 December. These included both domestic and international flights. Thirty-three flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport during this period. IndiGo has cancelled more than 300 flights in the past few days. Air passengers are even more vulnerable and helpless than passengers on buses or trains. They are afraid to speak out against flights or argue with flight attendants for fear of being blacklisted.
In the current scenario, the government needs to take appropriate action. Failure to take strict action could lead to the same issue emerging in other sectors also.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.