Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport has plunged into utter chaos, transforming the city's peak travel season into a scene of distress and confusion. A severe wave of flight cancellations and massive delays has left thousands of passengers, from holidaymakers to those dealing with family emergencies, stranded and frustrated over the past two days.
Passenger Ordeals: Missed Exams, Weddings, and Emergencies
The human cost of the disruption became painfully clear through numerous harrowing accounts. Nishita Chowdhury, a college student from Joka heading to Mumbai for crucial MBA classes, was left in the lurch. She received a text about her flight's cancellation only after reaching the airport, just a day before she had an important exam. Her brother, booked on a Delhi-bound flight on Wednesday, faced a similar ordeal with multiple reschedulings, finally departing Kolkata at 11:30 am on Thursday.
For Rajesh Singh, the disruption meant missing a significant family event. His Thursday flight to Patna for a wedding was rescheduled several times before being allotted for 5:30 pm, only to be cancelled upon his arrival at the airport. "Now I can no longer attend the wedding," he lamented outside the terminal.
The crisis also impacted those facing medical emergencies. Soubhik Roy, based in Delhi, was unable to secure tickets to rush to Kolkata after his father-in-law suffered a cardiac arrest. "There are no seats available on direct flights, and one-stop flights too can't guarantee when they can reach Kolkata," he explained, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Cascading Delays and Missing Luggage Compound Misery
The problems extended far beyond simple cancellations, creating a domino effect on travel plans. Avik Sarkar, flying from Bengaluru to Kolkata on an IndiGo flight Wednesday night, saw his entire itinerary collapse. After his 10:05 pm flight was cancelled upon his 6:30 pm arrival at Bengaluru airport, the rebooking link failed. With no alternative seats, he was forced to buy a fresh ticket for Rs 24,000 for a flight 24 hours later, jeopardizing his Saturday morning connection to Arunachal Pradesh.
Passengers who managed to reach Kolkata faced further issues. Rakesh Rastogi and his family arrived from Delhi after a 14-hour delay, only to discover their luggage had never left Delhi. In another instance, Sourojit Dutta from Durgapur experienced constant delays for his IndiGo flight from Bengaluru, which was originally scheduled for 11 am but finally took off at 1:45 pm after he had waited at the airport since 8:30 am.
Social Media Outcry and Airline Response
Frustration boiled over on social media platforms, with travelers sharing their nightmarish experiences. One passenger, Devashish Chakravarty, took to X to detail how his Kolkata-Mumbai flight was cancelled and he was rerouted via Patna, only for the Patna-Mumbai leg to also be cancelled. He accused the airline of refusing further rerouting and demanding full charges for cancellation.
The scenes at Kolkata airport remained tense through Wednesday and Thursday, with crowded terminals and anxious passengers seeking answers. The widespread disruption, primarily affecting IndiGo flights but impacting travel across carriers, has raised serious questions about operational preparedness during the high-demand season, leaving countless travel plans in tatters and passengers demanding accountability.
