Passengers booked on an IndiGo flight from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in the early hours of Wednesday faced a nightmare scenario, enduring waits of up to 15 hours at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport. This incident was not isolated but part of a severe, nationwide operational disruption for the airline that led to massive delays, cancellations, and angry confrontations.
Widespread Disruption at Ahmedabad Airport
The crisis at SVPI airport was extensive. From midnight on December 3 until 7 am on December 4, a total of 76 flight operations were disrupted. This included 53 delayed flights (26 arrivals and 27 departures) and 23 cancelled flights (12 arrivals and 11 departures). All affected services were operated by IndiGo.
The now-viral video of heated arguments between stranded passengers and IndiGo ground staff at the city airport encapsulated the frustration. One passenger, Vishal Jani, took to social media platform X, stating he had been waiting for 12 hours and criticized the airline's communication, citing vague "operational" reasons for the chaos.
Nationwide Meltdown and Airline's Explanation
The situation in Ahmedabad mirrored a larger crisis across IndiGo's network, with major hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru also reporting long delays, cancellations, and overcrowded terminals. Passengers nationwide described scenes of "absolute chaos" on social media.
In an official statement, IndiGo acknowledged the severe network-wide disruption over two days and issued an apology. The airline attributed the meltdown to a combination of factors: "a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges". These included minor technical glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather conditions, increased airspace congestion, and the implementation of updated Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. The airline stated these factors collectively "had a negative compounding impact."
Airport sources indicated that the disrupted services from Ahmedabad were primarily on routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Goa. Delays also affected flights connecting to Kolkata, Varanasi, and Chandigarh.
Recovery Measures and Passenger Advisory
In response to the crisis, IndiGo announced it has initiated 'calibrated adjustments' to its schedules for the next 48 hours to stabilize and restore punctuality. The airline stated that affected passengers are being provided with alternate travel options or refunds.
IndiGo has urged all customers to check their flight status via the airline's official channels before heading to the airport. This advisory comes as the carrier works to normalize its operations following one of its most significant operational disruptions in recent times.
