IndiGo Disruptions Leave Thousands Stranded Amid Massive Flight Cancellations

• IndiGo cancels 400+ flights today, over 1,000 scrapped in four days.
• Major airports face long delays, soaring airfares, and stranded passengers.
• Operational issues spark travel chaos and political criticism.

India’s busiest airports faced another day of severe disruption on Friday as IndiGo’s operational troubles stretched into a fourth straight day, triggering more than 400 cancellations in the morning alone. The total number of flights cancelled since the crisis began has now crossed 1,000, leaving thousands of passengers stranded nationwide.

Travellers at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Ahmedabad reported long waits with minimal assistance or updates. Many said they learned about cancellations only after reaching the airport. At Ahmedabad, passengers headed to cities like Varanasi said they had been waiting for hours without guidance or basic support.

Alternative travel options were also hard to find. With IndiGo grounding a large part of its network, fares on other airlines surged sharply doubling or even tripling on several routes, making last-minute rebooking nearly impossible for many travellers.

Delhi witnessed the highest impact with 225 cancellations. Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad also recorded heavy disruptions. Pune saw 32 early-morning cancellations and diverted one incoming flight to Hyderabad because of operational limitations.

Airport authorities issued fresh advisories urging passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. However, on-ground accounts suggested that many passengers still faced last-minute surprises, derailing personal and professional plans.

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The situation has also triggered political criticism, with opposition leaders claiming the crisis highlights deeper structural gaps in India’s aviation sector, including limited competition and rising dependency on a few large carriers.

IndiGo has attributed the widespread disruptions to unspecified operational challenges but has not disclosed further details. Authorities continue to urge passengers to monitor updates closely as delays and cancellations remain likely.