For the second day in a row, operations at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport descended into chaos as IndiGo Airlines cancelled a significant number of flights and delayed scores of others, citing a severe crew shortage. The disruption left hundreds of passengers stranded and sparked heated confrontations at the terminal.
Terminal Turns Tense as Passengers Vent Fury
The travel nightmare unfolded on Thursday when IndiGo cancelled 22 flights and delayed the departures of 146 others. The cascading effect of these disruptions triggered pandemonium at boarding gates. Exhausted and frustrated travellers were left waiting for hours, with many reporting delays of five to seven hours even after completing security checks.
Scenes of frustration became commonplace across the terminal. Passengers, their patience worn thin, got into heated exchanges with ground staff at check-in counters and boarding gates. The situation escalated to the point where staff were reportedly gheraoed (surrounded) by angry flyers. Rima Banerjee, an affected passenger, shared her ordeal: "Our first flight was cancelled, so we booked another one. That one was rescheduled twice and was then delayed by three hours. We don't know when boarding will start." She added that over 70 passengers had surrounded IndiGo staff.
The frayed tempers necessitated the deployment of additional Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel to manage the crowds, though the heightened security did little to calm the aggrieved passengers.
Internal Discontent and Allegations of Poor Planning
While IndiGo did not issue an official statement on Thursday, officials indicated they were adjusting schedules in a calibrated manner to normalise operations. However, sources within the airline revealed a disconnect between senior management and ground reality. Station managers and veteran staff reportedly suggested proactive cancellations to stabilise the schedule, but these were allegedly ignored by senior officials.
An exasperated ground employee, who had been facing passenger ire since Wednesday morning, stated, "We felt it would help passengers and airline staff if instead of prolonged delays in hundreds of flights, some of them were cancelled and the rest were operated on time." A section of the airline's own pilots and cabin crew echoed this sentiment, believing the chaos was preventable with timely measures.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) weighed in, alleging that IndiGo had an "inexplicable" hiring freeze despite having a two-year preparatory window before new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms for cockpit crew were fully implemented. The pilots' body has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) not to approve airlines' seasonal schedules unless they demonstrate adequate staff to operate safely under the new rules.
Similarly, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) claimed the disruptions pointed to a failure in proactive resource planning by dominant carriers. They also suggested such operational meltdowns could be an effort to pressure regulator DGCA into diluting the new FDTL norms.
Airport Scrambles with Contingency Measures
With no clear indication of immediate improvement, Kolkata airport authorities activated contingency plans to manage the fallout. They brought in additional seating arrangements and mobilised staff to ensure cleanliness, particularly in restrooms. Food and beverage outlets were instructed to requisition more stock to cater to the stranded passengers.
In one instance, special provisions were made for a group of passengers who were originally scheduled to travel from Mumbai to Port Blair via Kolkata. Due to the cancellations, they had to first fly to Jaipur and then travel to Kolkata. The airport also provided a room for senior IndiGo officials who stayed overnight at the terminal to manage the crisis.
The back-to-back days of severe disruption have put a spotlight on the operational resilience of airlines and raised serious questions about crew management and compliance with safety regulations, leaving flyers in Kolkata anxious about the reliability of their travel plans.
