Passengers at Nagpur's Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport are facing severe disruption and uncertainty, with IndiGo Airlines halting ticket sales at its counters until December 15. The move comes amid reports of flights being cancelled even after passengers have boarded the aircraft, leading to widespread confusion and frustration.
Uncertainty and Last-Minute Cancellations
An IndiGo staff member at the airport counter advised potential travellers with a polite smile, "Please don't ask for any tickets until December 15." The staffer highlighted the precarious situation, warning that passengers who board a plane might later be asked to disembark. "It's quite uncertain; who knows, you may board a plane and then be asked to get off. It has been happening for the last two-three days," the employee stated.
Confirming these alarming incidents, the staff repeated, "Yes, there were instances of passengers being made to get down after boarding." An anonymous source explained that while pilots usually inform about their Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) in advance, leading to pre-emptive cancellations, sometimes the intimation comes only after boarding is complete.
Airfares Breach Government Caps, Economy Seats Vanish
The government-mandated caps on airfares also appear to be ineffective at the airport counters. A check by the Times of India revealed that fares for other airlines either exceeded the caps or had no economy class seats available for key dates like December 9 and 10.
For routes like Nagpur to Mumbai or Delhi, only business class tickets were available, priced as high as Rs 50,000. On dates where economy seats were open, a Nagpur to Mumbai ticket crossed Rs 20,000. The government has capped fares for distances under 1,000 km at Rs 12,000. Nagpur to Delhi (over 850 km) and Mumbai (around 690 km) should fall under this rule, but reality tells a different story. Fares to Bengaluru (950 km away) were found to be around Rs 14,000.
Interestingly, airline staff suggested checking online for lower rates. While IndiGo stopped counter bookings, online travel portals continued to sell its tickets for dates before December 15 at comparatively lower prices, such as Nagpur to Delhi for about Rs 6,500.
Passenger Ordeal and Operational Recovery
The airport was a scene of chaos as distressed passengers flooded counters with questions. A couple bound for Bengaluru and then Malaysia faced a cancelled flight, risking the loss of pre-paid hotel bookings. Another family, headed to Udaipur via Mumbai, had to be rebooked onto a last-minute flight after their initial leg was cancelled.
On Sunday, the airport saw nine flight cancellations to major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Bangalore, though 17 departures and arrivals operated. In a positive development, passengers who had lost their baggage began receiving relief, with IndiGo helpers seen loading luggage into vehicles for home delivery.
IndiGo has announced a full waiver on cancellation and rescheduling fees for bookings made for travel until December 15. Meanwhile, a sharp drop in fares for travel after December 16 was noted at airport counters, coinciding with the end of the state legislature's winter session in Nagpur.
