New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) has transformed into a zone of utter chaos and frustration over the past few days, as a major operational breakdown by budget carrier IndiGo leaves thousands of passengers stranded and furious. The airline's mass cancellations have led to serpentine queues, clueless ground staff, and scenes of intense passenger agitation, turning the domestic terminal into what security personnel describe as a 'war zone'.
Scenes of Chaos and Passenger Fury
The epicenter of the disruption is Terminal 1, IndiGo's primary domestic hub. Passengers are facing nightmarish scenarios with extremely long queues snaking around check-in counters. After clearing security, confused travelers head to information desks manned by IndiGo staff, only to find them equally helpless and unable to provide clear updates. This lack of information has led to visible agitation, with passengers resorting to chanting their flight numbers in protest.
The situation is so volatile that CISF security personnel have been stationed near IndiGo counters to protect staff from potential harm. A security official at Terminal 1 painted a grim picture, stating, "We rush wherever a fight breaks out. The airport has become a war zone in the past few days." The chaos repeats at boarding gates, where this reporter witnessed angry passengers venting their ire at staff on Friday morning as boarding failed to commence even after prolonged waits.
Nationwide Disruption and Regulatory Scrutiny
The crisis is not confined to Delhi. Major aviation hubs like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Hyderabad are witnessing similar scenes. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in on Thursday, conducting an inspection that revealed a critical finding: IndiGo's passenger-handling manpower was inadequate to manage the disruption-induced crowding.
Further evidence of the operational standstill was visible on the tarmac. At 7 AM on Friday, a row of IndiGo planes remained attached to aerobridges at Delhi airport—a highly unusual sight as this is typically the time they would be preparing for departure. The airline's baggage management systems have also been severely affected, compounding passenger woes.
Questions on Planning and a Broken Digital Response
Aviation experts are questioning how authorities allowed IndiGo to increase its flight schedule without verifying its overall preparedness. A senior pilot criticized the situation, remarking, "If an airline is broke, one can understand. But for a cash-rich airline to do so; it is either poor planning or just plain negligence."
Passengers are left to bear the brunt of this failure. Many who booked via the IndiGo app received a WhatsApp message and email about cancellations with a 'PLAN B' link for rebooking or refund. However, as reported by a frequent flyer, the link was non-functional on Tuesday night, and the call centre was unreachable. Shockingly, cancelled flights continued to be displayed as 'on time' on the airline's app. The flyer added, "For such a successful airline, it's a bit shocking that their digital services are so broken."
There are growing calls for regulatory intervention. Experts urge aviation authorities to mandate that passengers receive timely and accurate cancellation information well in advance to prevent unnecessary trips to overcrowded airports.
Facing immense backlash, IndiGo issued a 'heartfelt apology' on Thursday via social media platform X, addressed to passengers and industry stakeholders affected by the mass cancellations over the previous three days. The airline acknowledged the "widespread disruption across IndiGo's network and operations," but for thousands of stranded travelers, the apology offers little solace amidst the ongoing turmoil.
