Over 550 IndiGo Flights Cancelled, Airline Issues Apology
Over 550 IndiGo flights were cancelled across multiple airports over the past 24 hours, triggering massive disruption and leaving thousands of passengers stranded, frustrated, and scrambling for alternatives as the country’s busiest airline grappled with a severe operational breakdown. The widespread cancellations affected both domestic and international routes, causing chaos at major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, where travellers faced long delays, missed onward connections, sudden schedule changes, and overcrowded terminal areas. Angry passengers flooded social media with complaints about poor communication, lack of timely updates, unresponsive customer support, and difficulties in rebooking flights or securing quick refunds. Many claimed they were informed of cancellations only after reaching the airport, adding to the confusion and inconvenience. In an official statement, IndiGo acknowledged the disruption and issued an apology to passengers, stating that the mass cancellations were the result of a combination of operational constraints, air traffic flow restrictions, crew availability issues, and cascading delays across its network. The airline said it was working around the clock to stabilise its operations, deploy additional ground staff at airports, and prioritise stranded passengers. IndiGo also assured customers that full refunds or free rescheduling options would be provided in line with regulatory guidelines. Aviation experts pointed out that disruptions of this scale can severely impact the aviation ecosystem, affecting aircraft positioning, crew rotations, maintenance schedules, and airport slot management, with effects that can linger for several days. Meanwhile, airports witnessed overcrowding at airline help desks as passengers queued for hours seeking assistance, while several flights remained delayed even when not cancelled outright. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is reportedly monitoring the situation closely and is expected to seek a detailed explanation from the airline regarding the unusually high number of cancellations. Passengers have been strongly advised to check flight status before heading to the airport, stay alert to official IndiGo advisories, and use authenticated airline channels for real-time updates as efforts continue to restore normal operations.
