Passengers across India faced severe travel disruptions over the past two days as the country's largest carrier, IndiGo, grappled with major operational issues leading to widespread flight delays and cancellations. The airline has officially apologised, stating its network was "significantly disrupted."
Chaos at Chandigarh's Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport
The impact was acutely felt at Chandigarh's airport on Thursday, where a majority of IndiGo flights were affected. Key routes to popular destinations like Goa, Dharamshala, Mumbai, and Delhi were cancelled, leaving travellers in a state of distress and confusion.
One of the severely impacted flights was the Chandigarh to Chennai service. Originally scheduled for a 7:20 AM departure, it was rescheduled to a staggering 5:50 PM. Consequently, passengers expecting to arrive in Chennai at 10:20 AM were given a tentative landing time of 8:50 PM.
The ripple effect stranded connecting passengers as well. Barinder Chawla, a resident of Chandigarh, shared his ordeal after arriving from Zurich via Delhi. His connecting flight, IndiGo 6E2196 from Delhi to Chandigarh, faced multiple delays. "The original time to depart was 14:25. They then announced initially that it will depart at 15:15 then revised it to 15:45," Chawla said, describing complete chaos with no further announcements or updates on display boards.
He added, "We have been sitting at gate 22 since 15:00 with no clarity... Finally, boarding started at 16:45 and the flight took off at 17:25." Chawla highlighted the plight of fellow travellers, including a woman who had been at the airport since 6 AM after flying in from Frankfurt.
A Cascade of Delays Across Multiple Flights
The disruption was not isolated. A detailed look at the Chandigarh schedule reveals a cascade of delays:
The Chandigarh-Pune flight, slated for a 9:10 PM departure, was pushed to 11:45 PM, with an arrival now expected at 2:10 AM.
The early morning Chandigarh-Mumbai flight (5:20 AM) departed at 7:37 AM, landing in Mumbai at 10:18 AM instead of the scheduled 8:00 AM. The evening Mumbai flight also faced a delay.
Other affected routes included the flight to Leh, rescheduled from 11:45 AM to 1:57 PM, and the Ahmedabad service, moved from a 12:05 PM departure to 4:55 PM.
IndiGo's Response and Recovery Plan
In response to the crisis, IndiGo issued a statement acknowledging the severe disruption. The airline announced, "To contain the disruption and restore stability, we have initiated calibrated adjustments to our schedules."
These corrective measures are expected to remain in place for the next 48 hours as the carrier works to normalise operations and recover its punctuality across the network. The airline assured that its teams are working round the clock to assist affected passengers with alternative travel arrangements or refunds as services gradually return to normal.
The incident has sparked significant concern among frequent flyers and highlights the vulnerability of air travel networks to operational breakdowns, especially during peak travel periods.
