Passengers flying from Kolkata faced heightened uncertainty on Sunday as IndiGo Airlines cancelled more flights, defying a government directive to restore normalcy. The disruption, now in its sixth consecutive day, saw 76 flights scrapped, deepening the crisis for travelers scheduled for the early week.
Government Ultimatum Ignored as Cancellations Spike
Despite a clear ultimatum issued by the government on Saturday evening, which directed the airline to stabilize its operations within 48 hours, the situation worsened. On Sunday, Kolkata airport authorities announced via a microblogging platform that IndiGo cancelled 53 departures and 23 arrivals, totaling 76 flights to and from the city. This came after a brief dip on Saturday, when 53 flights were cancelled, raising false hopes of improvement. The airline itself indicated that normal operations might only resume by December 10, Wednesday.
Passenger Plight: Stranded, Stressed, and Financially Hit
The human cost of the operational meltdown is severe and widespread. For many, the financial impact has been as shocking as the last-minute cancellations.
Ipsita Sinha, a 22-year-old professional singer from Agartala, came to Kolkata for a performance. Her return flight on Sunday was first rescheduled and then cancelled, pushing it to Monday morning. "I can't afford another day at a hotel," she said, highlighting the practical burdens faced by stranded flyers.
Adhiraj Roy, a dentist from Deshapriya Park, had his evening flight to Bengaluru cancelled abruptly. With no alternative, he was forced to purchase a new ticket for Rs 26,000 to resume his hospital duties on time. Similarly, Ashish Saha from Jirat, trying to reach Delhi for a family emergency, found IndiGo fares exorbitant and booked a Rs 25,000 ticket on Air India instead.
Dipanwita Sarkar, who traveled from Agartala for a BEd exam on December 4, found herself stuck in Kolkata for days after her December 5 return flight was cancelled.
Industry Criticism and a Crisis of Trust
The travel industry has expressed strong disapproval of the handling of the situation. Anil Punjabi, Chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (East), stated bluntly, "IndiGo needs to get its act together and behave responsibly." Echoing the sentiment, Anjani Dhanuka, Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (East), warned that the episode "has created a huge trust deficit" with customers.
Even airline staff seemed caught off guard. One employee mentioned, "We expected the situation to improve on Sunday. With the govt asking IndiGo to return to normal operations by Monday evening, there could be another mini reset on Monday to get the roster firmly in place." Meanwhile, IndiGo stated it planned to operate 129 departures and 97 arrivals through Sunday, a schedule rendered meaningless for those whose flights were axed.
As the week begins, thousands of passengers connected through Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport brace for more uncertainty, their travel plans hanging in the balance due to the prolonged operational failure of India's largest carrier.
