Chaos erupted at Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport over the weekend as a series of flight cancellations and major delays left hundreds of passengers stranded and frustrated. Multiple departures were rescheduled by several hours, leading to long queues and anxious crowds at airline counters as travellers desperately sought information.
Government Steps In with Strict Deadline
Taking serious note of the escalating situation, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened directly. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu announced on social media platform X that the ministry has issued strict directives to IndiGo. The airline has been ordered to clear all pending passenger refunds without any further delay.
The minister stated that the refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be fully completed by 8:00 PM on Sunday, 7 December 2025. In addition to the refund mandate, the ministry has instructed IndiGo to ensure that any baggage separated from passengers due to the cancellations or delays is traced and delivered to their residence or chosen address within the next 48 hours.
Passengers Narrate Tales of Travel Ordeal
On the ground, affected passengers continued to face immense hardship and uncertainty due to poor communication from the airline.
Rahul Das, a resident of Guwahati, shared his distressing experience. He had booked an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Guwahati scheduled for Sunday. However, he received no clear updates from the airline, leaving his plans in complete disarray. "We travelled from Lucknow to Delhi by road and reached on Saturday. We were supposed to leave on Sunday, but now we have no idea what will happen," Das said. "We have checked into a hotel, but if the flight gets cancelled, we will be in serious trouble."
Another passenger, Junmoni Baruva, who was travelling to Mumbai, faced a similar communication breakdown. She was initially informed that her flight was merely delayed, only to discover hours later that it had been cancelled altogether, worsening her travel plans.
Accountability and Passenger Rights in Focus
This incident has brought the issue of airline accountability and passenger rights during operational disruptions sharply into focus. The swift directive from the Civil Aviation Ministry underscores the government's intent to hold airlines responsible for service failures. The mandated deadlines for refunds and baggage delivery are seen as a crucial step in mitigating passenger inconvenience and ensuring timely compensation for the disruption. The situation at Guwahati airport serves as a reminder of the cascading effects of flight cancellations and the critical need for transparent and prompt communication from airlines to their customers.
