Chandigarh: The ripple effect of IndiGo’s nationwide operational crisis continued to hit travellers hard on Saturday, with Chandigarh’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport reporting only a handful of flights moving as scheduled in the early hours of the day.
Despite a few on-time departures, the airport remained one of the worst-hit in the country, with IndiGo cancelling another 10 flights for Saturday as part of its continued efforts to reset and stabilise its crippled network.
Only 4 Arrivals, 6 Departures Before 9 a.m.
By 9 a.m., the airport had seen just four arrivals — flights from Jaipur, Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai — offering slight relief to passengers who had been bracing for more uncertainty.
On the departures side, six flights managed to take off on time, including early-morning services to Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna, Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai.
However, the limited movement brought little comfort as the cancellations announced late Friday left passengers scrambling for alternatives.
10 More Flights Axed for Saturday
IndiGo confirmed late Friday that it had scrapped 10 flights scheduled for December 6 as part of a broader realignment effort. The cancelled services included routes to:
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Lucknow (5:55 a.m.)
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Delhi (5:45 a.m.)
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Bengaluru (8:00 a.m.)
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Indore (11:45 a.m.)
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Leh (2:05 p.m.)
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Srinagar (2:10 p.m.)
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Mumbai (3:55 p.m.)
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Hyderabad (4:20 p.m.)
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Ahmedabad (7:00 p.m.)
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Pune (9:10 p.m.)
Friday had already been a grim day for travellers here, with 33 arrivals and departures cancelled — the highest seen at the airport since disruptions began earlier this week.
Frustrated Passengers Point to Mismanagement
With IndiGo operating the majority of daily flights at Chandigarh — roughly 55 combined arrivals and departures — the airline’s network meltdown has created severe bottlenecks for flyers in the region.
Several passengers reported that the cancellations not only derailed their travel plans but also caused a sharp rise in last-minute fares on other airlines. Many blamed IndiGo’s “poor planning” for triggering a domino effect across carriers.
“There were hardly any alternatives left,” said one Chandigarh flyer. “Whatever tickets were available were suddenly double the price.”
IndiGo did not respond to queries from the media on Saturday regarding additional cancellations or the status of ongoing recovery efforts.
Operational Reset Still Underway
While some airports have begun seeing gradual improvement, Chandigarh remains particularly vulnerable due to its dependence on IndiGo’s flight volume. The airline has been attempting to rebuild its schedule after days of cancellations tied to crew shortages, duty-time regulations and operational misalignment.
For now, passengers travelling through Chandigarh are being advised to monitor flight updates closely and arrive early, as the airport continues to grapple with limited schedules and sudden changes.
