The Northeast's vital tourist season is facing severe turbulence as widespread flight disruptions by IndiGo have left hundreds of travelers stranded and thrown travel plans into chaos. The crisis, now stretching into its third day, has dealt a heavy blow to the region's tourism economy during its most lucrative period from October to April.
Flight Schedules in Disarray, Tourists Stranded
The operational meltdown at India's largest carrier has directly impacted Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, the primary gateway to the northeastern states. Seventeen flights were cancelled on Saturday alone, with an additional six suffering significant delays extending until 7 pm. This has created a domino effect, preventing tourists from reaching their destinations on time and forcing many to cancel their trips entirely.
Tour operators in Guwahati report being inundated with distress calls. "We anticipated a large crowd, especially with the festivals in full swing, but the disruption has brought heavy losses. Each day, we get calls from 50–60 passengers asking us to cancel their packages," said Dibakar Debnath, a local tour operator. The financial strain is immense, as operators typically spend months planning packages, booking hotels, and arranging vehicles for the peak season surge.
Financial Nightmare for Tourism Businesses
The cancellations are proving financially devastating for small and medium-sized tour businesses. Kuldeep Sarmah, another operator based in Guwahati, explained the precarious situation. Operators earn only a slim commission on full packages but are obligated to provide full refunds when plans collapse. With hotel room rates in the region ranging from Rs 3,500 to a staggering Rs 30,000–40,000 per night, depending on the category, last-minute cancellations translate into massive losses that many can ill afford.
The timing could not be worse. The period from October to April is when the Northeast sees its highest influx of visitors, drawn by pleasant weather, scenic destinations like Shillong and Kaziranga, and major cultural events. The disruption is causing a ripple effect across Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
Hornbill Festival and Celebrity Act Hit Hard
One of the most significant casualties of the travel chaos is the iconic Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. The popular Indian rock band 'Sanam' was forced to cancel their scheduled performance at the festival. The band took to social media to apologize to their fans, detailing their ordeal. "Every single one of our flights yesterday (Friday) was cancelled. We spent the entire day at the airport trying every possible route. We now stand with no remaining travel options," their statement read.
This incident highlights how the flight crisis is not just inconveniencing individual tourists but also impacting major cultural programming that draws national attention. The festival is a cornerstone of Nagaland's tourism calendar, and such cancellations tarnish the experience for attendees and the region's reputation as a reliable host.
As IndiGo works to normalize its operations, the region's tourism stakeholders are holding their breath, hoping for a swift resolution to minimize the long-term damage to a season they depend on for their annual revenue.
