For the second day in a row, severe flight disruptions have caused major distress for air travelers at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA). Hundreds of passengers found themselves stranded for hours on end, with the situation worsening significantly on Thursday.
Scale of the Disruption and Passenger Anger
The crisis deepened on Thursday with 74 additional flights cancelled—comprising 37 arrivals and 37 departures—affecting major destinations nationwide. This followed 40 cancellations on Wednesday, bringing the total to over 100 cancelled flights within a turbulent 48-hour period.
The airport descended into turmoil as restless passengers, facing uncertainty and long delays, engaged in heated arguments with IndiGo and airport staff. Videos circulating from RGIA showed large, frustrated crowds gathered at IndiGo help desks, ticket counters, and terminal entry points, raising slogans against the airline.
Passengers reported that CISF personnel had to intervene in several situations to restore order and pacify angry flyers. Social media platforms were flooded with posts and videos tagging IndiGo, showing intense arguments as travelers demanded clear communication and solutions.
Passenger Ordeals and Alleged Misinformation
Many stranded passengers shared harrowing accounts of their experience. Amit Sengar, who was returning to Lucknow after an eye check-up in Hyderabad, described a cycle of confusion. "I received a message at 10 am saying my 12 pm flight was on schedule. Six hours later, I'm still here," he said. "Every 30 minutes, the airline updates the departure time, leaving us frustrated."
Sengar and others alleged they received "misleading flight status updates," prompting them to arrive at the airport on time only to be left in limbo. The ordeal reportedly took a toll on health, with claims of one passenger suffering a cardiac arrest and another, post-surgery, experiencing uneasiness due to a lack of assistance—a claim refuted by RGIA authorities.
Abhishek Tiwari, who needed to reach Lucknow for a teacher's entrance exam on Friday, was particularly distressed. Having traveled from Vijayawada to Hyderabad for a connecting flight, he was stranded for nine hours. "The centre is six hours from Lucknow airport. The situation here is deplorable, with no timely updates or refreshments," he rued. Passengers have demanded that IndiGo respond to their concerns and provide suitable compensation.
Soaring Fares and Helpline Overload
Amid the IndiGo chaos, ticket fares on other airlines skyrocketed, reaching three to five times their normal cost. A typical Hyderabad-Delhi ticket, usually priced between ₹5,000 and ₹7,000, was being sold for as high as ₹25,000 for Friday travel. Similar steep hikes were seen for routes to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Chennai.
Even connecting flights through cities like Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, normally cheaper alternatives, witnessed sharp fare surges, leaving passengers with few affordable options. Meanwhile, IndiGo's helpline numbers were flooded with frantic calls from passengers booked for travel on December 5th and 6th, desperately seeking clarity on their flight status amidst the widespread uncertainty.
