India's aviation sector plunged into chaos for a third consecutive day on December 4, as the country's largest carrier, IndiGo, cancelled more than 300 domestic and international flights. The massive disruption left thousands of passengers stranded at airports nationwide, sparking widespread anger and forcing the aviation regulator to step in.
Passenger Fury and a CEO's Viral Outburst
The frustration among flyers boiled over on social media, with many sharing harrowing tales of delays, cancellations, and a severe lack of communication from the airline. A prominent voice in the outcry was Arun Prabhudesai, founder and CEO of Armoks Media.
Prabhudesai posted a viral video on X (formerly Twitter) slamming the airline for jeopardizing a major annual event he was traveling to attend. His Pune-Delhi flight, originally scheduled for 1:05 pm, was repeatedly delayed to 1:25 pm, then 3:30 pm, and finally 6 pm.
"SHAME ON YOU IndiGo6E," he wrote. "Every time we ask the crew if the flight will actually take off or get cancelled, there’s zero clarity. No answers, no accountability." He highlighted that the uncertainty risked not just his plans but also lakhs of rupees invested in the event.
Airline's Apology and CEO's Explanation
Facing mounting pressure, IndiGo issued a fresh apology on Friday to passengers affected by disruptions, particularly on flights departing from Delhi. The airline promised that all refunds for cancellations would be processed automatically to the original mode of payment.
In a bid to manage the crisis, the carrier stated it had arranged thousands of hotel rooms across various cities and provided surface transport for stranded customers.
Separately, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged the airline's failure to deliver its promised service to its 380,000 daily flyers. He explained the cascading delays were a result of a combination of factors:
- Technical glitches
- Adverse weather conditions
- General air traffic congestion
- Implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew
DGCA Probe and the Road to Normalcy
The scale of the disruption has triggered official scrutiny. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the large-scale flight cancellations and delays.
IndiGo has reportedly sought 48 hours from the regulator to stabilize its flight schedules and restore normal operations. The airline's statement and the CEO's explanation point to severe crew shortages exacerbated by the new DGCA duty time norms as a central cause of the operational breakdown.
As the probe begins, the incident raises serious questions about operational resilience and passenger communication protocols within one of India's most critical aviation players.
