Passengers at Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport faced a harrowing morning of chaos and despair on Saturday, as a cascade of flight cancellations by IndiGo led to long queues, crowded counters, and emotional breakdowns. The severe operational disruptions occurred nationwide, persisting even after aviation regulators intervened to ease crew scheduling rules.
Airport in Disarray as Flights Grounded
The scale of the problem at the Ahmedabad airport was significant. Officials confirmed that between midnight and 6 am on Saturday alone, seven arrivals and twelve departures were cancelled. This led to scenes of mounting frustration as hundreds of travelers scrambled for information and alternative travel options, with airline staff overwhelmed by the situation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had temporarily suspended its Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) orders with immediate effect on Friday. This regulatory pause was a direct response to days of nationwide delays and cancellations that have severely crippled IndiGo's operations. However, the relief had not yet materialized on the ground for stranded flyers.
Dreams Dashed: Students Miss National Hackathon
Among the most heart-wrenching stories was that of Mahrishi Jani and his six-member team. They were scheduled to fly to Guwahati via Kolkata on a 6:15 am IndiGo flight to participate in the prestigious Smart India Hackathon 2025 at North-Eastern Hill University.
"We were selected from nearly 74,000 submitted ideas; only about 1,400 were chosen," Jani told ANI, breaking down. "Our hard work of 6-7 months is now wasted. There is no other possible way. A train would take three days. We are returning home. Such opportunities are rare." His team, accompanied by two mentors, had no viable alternative after their flight was cancelled.
Nationwide Passenger Ordeal and Government Intervention
The chaos was not confined to Ahmedabad. Passengers across India reported similar ordeals. Ikhlaq Hussain, who had arrived from Jeddah, was stranded in Ahmedabad for two days while trying to get to Lucknow. At Jodhpur airport, a passenger bound for Bengaluru complained of no communication from the airline since morning.
A particularly distressing case emerged from Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport. A passenger, who had an international connection to Vietnam from Bengaluru, spent three hours seeking clarity on her December 5 flight. "They had flights to Bengaluru yesterday. I begged them for one seat so I could catch my international flight, but they did not accommodate me," she stated, highlighting the lack of options and information.
In response to the escalating crisis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued strict directives to airlines, particularly IndiGo, to immediately stabilize services. The ministry's order outlined several passenger-centric measures:
- Flight schedules are expected to stabilize and return to normal from midnight Saturday.
- Full service stability should be restored over the next couple of days.
- Automatic full refunds for cancelled tickets.
- Provision of hotel accommodation for stranded passengers and lounge access for senior citizens.
- Refreshments for those on delayed flights.
- A 24x7 control room at the ministry is monitoring the situation.
The ministry emphasized that the Central Government is fully alert to the woes of air passengers and is in constant consultation with all stakeholders. It vowed to take every possible measure, including the DGCA's rule exemptions, to restore schedule stability and mitigate public inconvenience.
