In a major disruption to air travel, budget carrier IndiGo was forced to cancel all its domestic flight operations from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday, December 5, 2025. This drastic move came as part of a wider wave of flight cancellations that affected hundreds of passengers across several Indian airports on the same day.
Widespread Disruption Across Airports
The cancellation of IndiGo's entire domestic schedule from Delhi was not an isolated incident. Reports indicate that more than 400 flights were cancelled nationwide throughout Friday, causing significant inconvenience to travelers. While the specific reasons for the mass cancellations affecting multiple airports were not detailed in the initial advisory, such large-scale grounding typically points to severe operational challenges.
Official Advisory from Delhi Airport
The official handle of Delhi Airport, @DelhiAirport, issued a crucial Passenger Advisory at 11:10 AM on December 5. The advisory served as the primary source of information for thousands of affected passengers. The airport authority used social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to communicate the urgent update, tagging it with relevant hashtags like #DelhiAirport, #PassengerAdvisory, and #DELAdvisory to maximize reach.
Travelers booked on IndiGo flights departing from Delhi were left scrambling for alternatives. The airline, being India's largest carrier by market share, operates a dense network of domestic connections from the national capital, meaning the impact of the blanket cancellation was extensive.
Passenger Impact and Next Steps
For passengers, the immediate consequence was major travel plan disruption. Those at the airport faced uncertainty, while others had to urgently seek information about rebooking or refunds. In such scenarios, aviation authorities and airlines generally advise affected passengers to:
- Refrain from proceeding to the airport without confirmed flight status.
- Continuously monitor official airline and airport social media channels for real-time updates.
- Check their registered email and SMS for direct communication from the airline regarding re-accommodation or cancellation.
- Contact the airline's customer service helpline for specific booking-related queries.
The event on December 5, 2025, underscores the vulnerability of air travel networks to large-scale operational breakdowns. It highlights the importance for travelers to stay informed through official channels during such crises. While the full scope and root cause of the disruptions that led to over 400 cancellations remain to be fully detailed, the day marked a significant challenge for Indian aviation, with IndiGo's complete domestic halt in Delhi at the center of the storm.
