IndiGo Crisis Brings Nation's Airports to a Standstill: Thousands Stranded, Frustration Mounts
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India's busiest airports are in chaos as IndiGo's network collapses, stranding hundreds of passengers and pushing them to their limits. For the fourth consecutive day, IndiGo flights are being canceled en masse, with major hubs like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad bearing the brunt. More than 1,000 IndiGo flights have been grounded since Tuesday, leaving travelers in a state of limbo. Long queues and confusion at airline counters have turned routine travel into a nightmare. In many cases, passengers are being left without clear information, food, or accommodation. In Delhi, all IndiGo flights were halted until midnight on Wednesday, while in Chennai, every departure remained canceled until 6 pm. Bengaluru reported 52 incoming and 50 outgoing cancellations, and Hyderabad saw 92 IndiGo flights scrapped throughout the day. The on-time performance of Indian airlines has plummeted to 8.5% on Thursday, a record low for a carrier that prides itself on punctuality. IndiGo shares have also taken a hit, dropping over 3% to ₹5,417.90 apiece on the BSE. Passengers are sharing harrowing stories of being stranded and frustrated. 'They kept saying 'just two more hours' for 12 hours straight. No hotel, no food, nothing,' a passenger in Hyderabad told ANI. Others have reported spending the entire night in terminals before flights were canceled at dawn. Aviation officials and industry experts point to the rollout of India's revamped Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) as the primary reason behind the crisis. The new rules aim to curb pilot fatigue by mandating 48 hours of weekly rest, longer night duty windows, and restrictions on night landings. However, the sudden implementation of these rules, combined with tech glitches and winter congestion, has left IndiGo scrambling to cope. The airline insists it is grappling with unforeseen operational challenges, but many passengers are left wondering if they will receive full refunds for their canceled flights.
