Chaos and frustration gripped Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport on Friday as a major operational crisis at budget carrier IndiGo spiraled into a full-blown passenger nightmare. The airline's nationwide disruptions led to the cancellation of a staggering 42 arrival and departure flights from the city, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded and plans in complete disarray.
Terminal Transforms into Scene of Anger and Protest
The airport terminal, typically a hub of orderly transit, transformed into a scene of visible anger and exhaustion. Passengers who had traveled from various locations found their flights to major destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bareilly, and Dehradun abruptly cancelled. With no immediate alternatives provided, heated arguments erupted between distressed travelers and IndiGo ground staff at overcrowded counters. The fear of missing critical connections, appointments, and events fueled the growing tension.
The crisis played out in real-time on social media, where stranded passengers voiced their outrage and shared evidence of the ordeal. Air traveler Peeyush Sachan posted images of crowded terminals with the caption, "Total Mess." He detailed that passengers had been waiting for over 24 hours without clear updates, with flights neither operating nor officially declared canceled. "People are hungry and thirsty, sitting on the floor as a mark of protest," he wrote.
Passengers Report Harassment, Block Boarding Gates in Protest
Another passenger, Srinivas Murthy, shared a harrowing account of his family being stranded since Thursday night on the delayed IndiGo flight 6E-906. He accused airline staff of being "unsupportive," harassing and threatening those who requested basic amenities like food and water. Murthy made a direct appeal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for urgent intervention.
As frustrations peaked, some agitated travelers took drastic action, blocking entry points to boarding areas for other flights in a desperate bid to get answers and solutions. The cancellations crippled the airport's schedule throughout the day, affecting services from the early morning 7:15 am flight to Hyderabad (6E-523) until late-night departures.
Erosion of Trust as Passengers Incur Heavy Losses
With IndiGo offering no immediate fixes, stranded passengers were forced into costly and stressful alternatives. Many had to resort to purchasing expensive last-minute tickets on rival carriers, booking impromptu hotel stays, or abandoning their trips altogether. This experience has severely eroded trust in the low-cost carrier, with passengers questioning its crisis management and customer care protocols during large-scale disruptions.
The day-long disruption at Lucknow's premier airport highlights the cascading effect of an airline's operational failure on passenger welfare and travel infrastructure. It underscores the urgent need for more robust contingency planning and transparent communication from airlines to prevent such scenes of public distress in the future.
