New Delhi: Passengers across India expressed anger on Thursday as widespread disruptions in IndiGo's operations left hundreds stranded at airports without information, staff assistance or timely updates.
Travellers said repeated attempts to seek help at counters and boarding gates went unanswered, even as flights were cancelled or delayed for hours. Families, office commuters and elderly passengers were left waiting with no clarity on alternative arrangements, fuelling frustration across major airports.
Several videos and posts on X showed chaotic scenes, where passengers alleged that airport information boards continued to display "on-time" schedules even as last-minute cancellations were announced.
One video, posted by X user Ayush Kuchya, quickly went viral and became the focal point of the outrage. It showed distressed travellers waiting for hours with no clarity from the airline. In the clip, a visibly shaken passenger broke down, saying, "Someone please tell my boss not to fire me," fearing job loss due to the unexpected delays.
Another passenger claimed the flight could not operate because "the captain hadn't arrived," while an elderly traveller declared, "I don't trust them anymore."
Kuchya added that his father-in-law was unwell, yet he remained helpless as "there is no update from the airline."
From Mumbai, Ashwini, who had flown to Hyderabad for a work meeting, described the shock of discovering that his rescheduled flight was simply no longer operating.
"I came here for a meeting. I am supposed to go back today. I got a boarding pass saying the flight is early. When I came here, I was not allowed to go inside. They are straightaway telling us this has been going on for the last three to four days, and we can't do anything. There is no flight available for us. I have asked them to cancel. I don't know what I am going to do because they don't have any flights until tomorrow," he told ANI.
Another traveller, Santosh, a Hyderabad resident trying to reach Chennai for a critical meeting, said the delay had derailed his entire schedule.
"I have to reach Chennai by morning at 11 tomorrow. My flight has been delayed... I am a frequent flier of IndiGo. This experience is really bad. It has disturbed my entire schedule. I have meetings lined up in Chennai. There has been no call or communication from IndiGo. I am checking the flight frequently and following news channels. Only then did I get to know that the flight had been delayed," he told ANI.
The disruptions come at a time when IndiGo has been facing a steep spike in cancellations, reaching 170-200 flights per day, far above normal levels. By Thursday, passengers at multiple airports expressed deep frustration as nationwide operations remained significantly affected, with many stranded and unable to find alternate options.
Massive impact at major airports
Operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were hit particularly hard. The airport confirmed that IndiGo had cancelled 150 flights, including 75 departures and 75 arrivals, covering both domestic and international routes.
Mumbai airport also saw widespread chaos. One passenger, Sanjay, said:
"They are saying that IndiGo has been reporting glitches for the past 2 days. The software update in Airbus is causing these glitches, so their schedule has changed... IndiGo isn't taking any care of its customers... I missed my connecting flight due to the delay. I tried calling the Aviation Ministry, but no one answered."
IndiGo operates over 400 aircraft and runs more than 2,300 flights daily, linking 90+ domestic and 45+ international destinations - making the scale of disruption especially severe.
IndiGo issues apology
In a statement posted on X, IndiGo issued an apology to passengers and stakeholders.
"We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders who have been impacted by these events. IndiGo teams are working diligently and making all efforts with the support of MOCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI and airport operators to reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy," the airline said.
IndiGo added that it is sharing updates with passengers and urged travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
"We continue to keep our customers apprised of any changes to their scheduled flights and advise them to check the latest status at https://goindigo.in/check-flight-status.html... IndiGo deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains focused on streamlining its operations at the earliest."