Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport descended into complete pandemonium on Friday as IndiGo Airlines, the country's largest carrier, abruptly cancelled a staggering 40% of its flights from the city in the morning, followed by another massive wave of cancellations in the afternoon.
From Stunned Silence to Angry Outbursts
The day began with shock for passengers, airport staff, and even some airline employees as the news of widespread cancellations broke. This initial astonishment quickly turned into confusion and then raw anger as the scale of the disruption became clear. The situation reached a peak around 3 PM when IndiGo announced the cancellation of an additional 42 flights. This brought the total cancellations for the day to a jaw-dropping 80% of its Kolkata operations.
The crisis was not a one-day affair. Over a three-day period from Wednesday to Friday, IndiGo, which operates 112 daily flights out of Kolkata, cancelled more than 150 flights. The flights that did manage to operate faced severe delays of several hours, while many others were rescheduled at the last minute.
Scenes of Mayhem Inside the Terminal
Friday witnessed the worst of the chaos. Nearly 300 passengers who had already completed check-in and security formalities were informed that their flights were cancelled. An airport official described the challenge of escorting this large, frustrated group back out of the security hold area. The departure hall became so overcrowded that authorities had to direct passengers to exit through the entry gates.
Social media was flooded with accounts of the distress. Flyer Vikas Chopra described the scene: "There is chaos everywhere. Passengers arguing with IndiGo staff… some angry, some crying, many simply confused. Looked up at the screen — back-to-back delays and cancellations." Another passenger, Arindam Das, shared his personal ordeal: "Our Pune-Kolkata flight got cancelled after I reached the airport. No Plan B. Missed my cousin's wedding."
Airline's Apology and a Controversial Reset
Facing intense backlash, IndiGo issued a lengthy apology on social media, acknowledging that Friday's disruption was the worst. The airline admitted to a "serious operational crisis" and stated that the "issue will not be resolved overnight." In its statement, IndiGo confirmed that Friday would see the highest number of cancellations as part of an effort to "reboot" its systems and schedules for a "progressive improvement starting tomorrow."
Sources within the airline indicated that the mass cancellations were a deliberate step to reset operations for a return to normalcy from Saturday. However, this optimism reportedly stemmed more from regulatory leniency from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) than from immediate corrective actions by the airline itself. This perceived capitulation sparked criticism online, with some accusing IndiGo of using passenger inconvenience as leverage.
The fallout for the airline's reputation appears significant. Anjani Dhanuka, Chairman (East) of the Travel Agents Association of India, noted a dramatic shift in customer preference: "Before Wednesday, eight out of 10 flight bookings that we did were on IndiGo. Today, there have been no takers since the airline's booking portal reopened. It will take some time for people to regain confidence."
