The ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo, India's largest airline, has led to severe disruptions for thousands of passengers, with one particularly heart-wrenching case emerging from Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport. A woman named Namita, travelling with her late father's ashes for a final religious rite, was left stranded on Friday after her flight was abruptly cancelled.
Passenger's Agony: A Sacred Journey Disrupted
Namita was on a solemn journey from Bengaluru to Delhi, with a further connection to Dehradun. Her mission was to perform the asthi visarjan (immersion of ashes) of her father in Haridwar, a ritual scheduled for Saturday. Her plans were shattered when her IndiGo flight was cancelled without any prior notification, leaving her devastated and uncertain about reaching her destination on time.
Visibly emotional, she explained her predicament to news agency ANI. "I have to reach Delhi and then take a flight to Dehradun. The asthi visarjan has to be done tomorrow," she said. Airline staff reportedly suggested she book tickets on another carrier, but the fares were exorbitantly high—around ₹60,000 per person—which was unaffordable for her family.
With no viable alternative arrangements provided by the airline, Namita's carefully laid plans were completely derailed. "All our money has gone to waste. They will take a week to process a partial refund and still don't know how much they will deduct," she added. She made an urgent appeal for authorities to intervene and help her reach Haridwar in time for the sacred ritual.
Nationwide Chaos: A Network in Disarray
Namita's distressing experience is not an isolated incident but part of a massive wave of cancellations and delays plaguing the IndiGo network. The chaos has been widespread since Tuesday, with over 1,000 flights cancelled and many more significantly delayed across the country.
On Friday, the situation reached a peak at major hubs. IndiGo cancelled all departure flights from Delhi's IGI Airport until midnight. Similarly, in Chennai, all departures were suspended until 6 pm. Passengers faced long queues, confusion, and frustration at multiple airports, with many left scrambling for last-minute and costly alternatives.
Root Cause: Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL)
The primary reason behind this large-scale disruption is linked to the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, which were implemented on November 1. These regulations, mandated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), restrict the number of hours pilots can fly and require airlines to adjust their schedules accordingly to ensure safety and reduce fatigue.
IndiGo, which operates one of the most frequent and high-utilisation networks in the country—especially on late-night and early-morning routes—has been severely impacted. The airline has struggled to adjust its complex scheduling to comply with the new norms, leading to the cascading effect of cancellations.
Following a review, the DGCA stated that IndiGo has requested temporary operational variations for its A320 fleet until February 10, 2026, to manage the disruptions while adhering to safety standards. The regulator noted that the airline has assured that stable operations will be restored by the aforementioned date in 2026.
However, for passengers like Namita and thousands of others, the immediate future remains uncertain. The crisis highlights the critical balance between implementing essential safety protocols and managing the operational realities of a vast airline network, with passengers often bearing the brunt of the transition.
