A journey back to duty for a group of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and an army soldier turned into a stressful ordeal at Nagpur airport, following a last-minute flight cancellation by IndiGo airlines. The incident, which unfolded on Saturday, left the security force members anxious about reporting late to their units in Kashmir.
From Bengaluru to an Unexpected Nagpur Stopover
Havildar K Shirjith of the CRPF was concluding his annual leave and was confident about joining his unit in Kashmir. After spending time in his native village in Karnataka, he, along with four colleagues, reached Bengaluru airport to catch an IndiGo flight to Delhi. From Delhi, they had a connecting flight to Srinagar. However, upon arrival at the airport, they discovered a surprise change in their itinerary.
The airline had boarded passengers of the Bengaluru-Delhi flight onto a plane destined for Nagpur. Airline staff assured them they would get a connecting flight to Delhi from Nagpur. The tired passengers complied, only to face greater disappointment upon landing.
The Nagpur Nightmare: Cancellation and Helplessness
As passengers alighted at Nagpur airport on Saturday, an announcement declared that their onward flight to Delhi was cancelled. This sparked immediate panic among the security personnel. "I have to report to duty tomorrow, just put yourself in my place," screamed Havildar Shirjith, his frustration echoed by his CRPF colleagues and an army soldier present.
The airline staff on duty could only express helplessness. The soldiers highlighted the strict protocols in the forces. "We were on our annual leave, and in the forces, we are supposed to report on time. I have also called up and told my superior that I would be there," said one CRPF personnel. Another added, "The punishment can be anything, even a pay cut."
An army man, K Ramesh, joined the plea, asking for a solution as he too had to attend duty. "The penalty for reporting late depends on the officer. I hope they consider," he said. The personnel argued that while a fare refund was mentioned, the airline should arrange alternate tickets immediately. To compound their problems, their baggage remained stuck in the aircraft that had flown from Bengaluru.
Other Passengers Caught in the Chaos
The flight disruption affected other travellers too. A family of an Air India employee, who had their staff tickets cancelled because the original Bengaluru-Delhi flight was full, had booked on this IndiGo flight via Nagpur. "We ended up paying Rs 40,000 for the tickets," said one family member, now stranded.
Another passenger, 70-year-old Abdul Hamid, who urgently needed to reach his son's house in Delhi for a health issue, was seen desperately looking for alternate transport options from Nagpur.
Despite the displayed cancellation of flight 6E-6620 to Delhi on airport signboards, an airport management source later revealed that after much drama and uncertainty, the aircraft eventually took off past 4 pm. However, for the distressed soldiers and other passengers, the experience highlighted significant gaps in airline communication and contingency planning during operational disruptions.
