Ahmedabad: A wave of cancellations and delays at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Saturday created chaos for travellers, as IndiGo continued to grapple with operational disruptions across the country. Long queues, mounting frustration, and tearful passengers marked the morning, despite the DGCA placing its Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) in abeyance to ease pressure on the airline.
Airport officials reported that between midnight and 6 am, seven arrivals and twelve departures were cancelled, leaving passengers with few alternatives. Counters were crowded, lines stretched across terminals, and frustration among travellers reached a peak.
Among those affected was Mahrishi Jani, who was scheduled to fly to Guwahati via Kolkata to participate in the Smart India Hackathon 2025. “Our team of six, along with two mentors, had been preparing for months. The flight cancellation means we cannot attend. Our hard work of 6-7 months is wasted,” Jani said, visibly upset.
Another passenger, Ikhlaq Hussain, stranded after arriving from Jeddah, shared his ordeal: “I have been stuck here for the past two days. My flight to Lucknow keeps getting delayed, and no one from IndiGo is giving any information.”
Passengers across India echoed similar experiences. One traveller at Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, recounted waiting three hours for clarification on a flight to Bengaluru, which was needed to catch an international connection to Vietnam. “There was just one staff member, and they had no answers. There was no clarity, no solution,” she said.
Government Response and Passenger Support
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed IndiGo and other airlines to take immediate steps to restore flight schedules and stabilise operations. A statement issued by the Ministry outlined the measures being enforced:
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Flight schedules to stabilise by midnight, with full service expected within the next few days
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Passengers can track delays via IndiGo’s information systems
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Automatic full refunds for cancelled tickets
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Stranded passengers to be provided hotel accommodations
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Special arrangements for senior citizens and provision of lounges, refreshments, and necessities
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A 24×7 control room to monitor the situation continuously
The DGCA’s temporary suspension of FDTL rules is aimed at allowing IndiGo more flexibility in managing crew schedules, which officials hope will prevent further disruptions.
An official statement stressed that the government is “fully alert” to passenger difficulties and is in constant consultation with stakeholders. “Every possible measure, including regulatory exemptions, will be taken to restore schedules and mitigate the public’s woes,” it said.
As the travel chaos continues, passengers are being urged to check flight statuses in advance and prepare for potential delays, while authorities work to bring operations back to normal.
