Chaos gripped Indian airports for a fourth consecutive day on Friday, December 5, 2025, as budget carrier IndiGo's operational crisis led to the cancellation of over 400 flights. In a swift response to assist thousands of stranded passengers, the Ministry of Railways announced a significant capacity enhancement across the network.
Railways Steps In With Major Capacity Boost
The Railway Ministry has decided to add a total of 116 extra coaches to 37 premium trains. This move is aimed specifically at providing relief to travellers affected by the massive air travel disruptions. The enhanced trains will originate from major railway junctions across the country, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Jammu Tawi, Patna, Howrah, and Chennai.
A senior official stated that the additional coaches will be attached starting from the upcoming services of these trains and will continue for as long as the flight crisis persists.
Northern and Central Railways Announce Specific Measures
Leading the effort, Northern Railway had already acted by increasing capacity in four key premium trains due to a surge in demand. According to Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, the following additions were made:
- One 3AC coach each was added to the 12425/26 Jammu Rajdhani Express and the 12424/23 Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express.
- One AC Chair Car coach each was added to the 12045/46 Chandigarh Shatabdi Express and the 12030/29 Amritsar Shatabdi Express.
Not to be left behind, Central Railway announced it will run six special trains on December 6 and 7 to clear the extra rush. CR's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila listed the special services:
- Pune to SMVT Bengaluru (6 December)
- Pune to New Delhi (7 December)
- Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Madgaon (7 December)
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to New Delhi (6 December)
- Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to Lucknow (6 December)
- Nagpur to CSMT (6 December)
Airport Chaos and IndiGo's Recovery Timeline
The ground situation at airports remained tense, with passengers facing delays exceeding 12 hours, staging protests, and reporting numerous issues with misplaced baggage. The scenes underscored the scale of the disruption caused by the airline's operational breakdown.
Addressing the crisis, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a video statement apologising to customers. He provided a crucial update on the recovery path, stating that flight cancellations are estimated to drop below 100 on Saturday, December 6. More importantly, Elbers indicated that the airline expects its operations to return to normal between December 10 and 15.
The coordinated response from Indian Railways highlights the critical role of the national transporter in providing a reliable alternative during emergencies in other transport sectors, ensuring connectivity across the country remains intact.
