Air travel from the industrial city of Kanpur faced severe disruption for the second day in a row on Saturday, as passengers were left in the lurch at the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Airport in Chakeri. The sole airline operating daily services, Indigo, cancelled all its scheduled flights, deepening the crisis that began earlier this week.
Technical Snag Triggers Widespread Cancellations
The root of the problem is a persistent technical issue with Indigo's check-in system, which has been malfunctioning for the past four days. While flights experienced delays until Thursday, the situation escalated into mass cancellations starting Friday. All three flights scheduled for Saturday to New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai were grounded. The weekly service to Hyderabad was also affected, leaving travellers with no immediate alternatives from Kanpur.
Passengers expressed extreme frustration as they crowded the airline's counters, facing long queues and a lack of clear communication. Many reported receiving no prior intimation about their flights being called off. "I was told about the cancellation only after I reached the airport," said Bheem Shakar, a resident hoping to travel to Hyderabad. He was eventually re-booked on a flight from Lucknow for December 7.
Passenger Ordeal and Soaring Alternate Fares
The cancellation of Indigo's services created a vacuum that other airlines were quick to exploit. With no competition on the route, carriers operating from nearby cities began charging exorbitant prices. Passengers reported fares that were 10 to 15 times the normal rate for routes like Kanpur to Delhi.
Virendra Kumar Jain, whose Friday flight to Delhi was abruptly cancelled, shared his harrowing experience. "Indian Airlines was charging ₹20,000 for a Delhi ticket. There was total chaos at the airport, and no one was giving correct information," he stated. He highlighted that the refund offered by the airline was of little consolation as passengers had already missed crucial appointments and commitments. "Everything is in a mess now," he remarked.
Calls for Intervention and Hopeful Timeline
Affected travellers like Shakar have called for government intervention, alleging that other operators are charging arbitrary fares in the absence of Indigo's services. The situation has underscored the vulnerability of cities dependent on a single airline for air connectivity.
Meanwhile, sources within Indigo indicate that the airline is working to resolve the technical glitch. Based on internal assessments by senior officials, operations are expected to gradually improve, with full stabilisation likely between December 10 and 15. Until then, passengers from Kanpur are bracing for continued uncertainty and disruption in their travel plans.
