A major operational meltdown at IndiGo left passengers across several airports in the country stranded for hours on Wednesday, as the airline cancelled and delayed more than 200 flights for the second consecutive day. The chaos spilled over from Tuesday, when around 130 flights had already been cancelled.
Travellers reported long queues at check-in counters, overcrowded terminals and confusion over revised departure schedules. While Air India managed to restore normal operations by late Tuesday evening, IndiGo continued to grapple with delays and cancellations well into Wednesday.
In a late evening statement, IndiGo acknowledged the scale of the disruption and apologised to passengers. The airline attributed the crisis to a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor tech glitches, winter-related schedule changes, weather issues, heavy congestion in the aviation network and the rollout of updated crew rostering rules.
“These challenges had a compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to anticipate,” the airline said. IndiGo added that it has begun making “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules for the next 48 hours to stabilise operations and recover punctuality. Affected passengers, it said, are being offered alternate travel options or refunds.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken note of the widespread disruptions and has sought a detailed explanation from the airline. “IndiGo has been asked to report to DGCA Headquarters to present the facts leading to the current situation, along with plans to mitigate the ongoing delays and cancellations,” the regulator said.
As the situation remains fluid, IndiGo has urged passengers to check the latest flight status before heading to the airport.
