Passengers at Pune's airport endured a day of severe distress and confusion on Thursday as widespread flight delays and cancellations left hundreds stranded. The operational chaos transformed journeys into nightmares, with elderly travelers, professionals, and even security personnel caught in the debilitating gridlock.
Harrowing Ordeal for Elderly and Families
Shashikala Kulkarni, a 78-year-old passenger bound for Bengaluru, faced a particularly difficult situation. Confined to a wheelchair and traveling alone to visit her daughter, she was left waiting outside the departure gate for over two hours. During this time, she received no clear information from airline staff about the status of her flight. Her son, who accompanied her to the airport, was forced to stand in a long queue at the IndiGo counter, desperately seeking answers while his mother waited helplessly.
"If I had sent my mother on the flight alone, the situation would have been worse as nobody from the airline was there to assist passengers," her son later told the Times of India. The Kulkarni family's experience was far from isolated, as the airport descended into disorder.
Missed Milestones and Official Duties
The ripple effects of the flight disruptions were severe, causing passengers to miss critical personal and professional commitments. Ramdas Kale from Narayangaon revealed that his wife missed her nephew's wedding in Lucknow. Their 4 a.m. flight, which was supposed to get them to the ceremony, was delayed multiple times before being cancelled outright. "We arrived at the airport with all preparations in place... and waited for hours expecting the flight to take off, but it was suddenly cancelled," a frustrated Kale stated.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan posted in Agartala encountered a different kind of problem. He needed an official statement from the airline to explain his delay in reporting for duty. "I have been requesting a written statement confirming that the Kolkata flight I was booked on was cancelled so that I can submit it to my superiors," he explained. He had booked a connecting flight via Kolkata to resume duty on Friday but was left without communication for hours before the cancellation was announced.
Voices from the Ground: A Cross-Section of Stranded Passengers
The crisis impacted a diverse group of travelers, each with urgent reasons to fly:
Vrinda Anand, a project scientist at IITM, was scheduled to travel to Chandigarh for the India International Science Festival. Her 3:30 a.m. flight had not departed by Thursday evening. She reported a lack of basic amenities, stating the airline had no food, and she had been waiting at the airport since 1 a.m. with no clarity.
Vilash Chate, a lawyer and Lohegaon resident, faced professional repercussions. He was scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court for an important hearing on Friday. With his flight to Delhi cancelled and the intimation coming late on Thursday evening, he was forced to miss the hearing, leading to an adjournment of the case.
A US national found his international travel plans in jeopardy. He came to Pune for a friend's wedding and had a return journey to the US via Delhi. With his international flight from Delhi scheduled for early Friday morning, he remained stranded at Pune airport till evening, unsure if he would even reach Delhi in time.
Siddhesh Ghadge from Satara represented families whose vacations were ruined. They had made all arrangements for a 10-day trip to Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, including hotel and local travel bookings, but were left stranded at Pune airport due to repeated flight cancellations.
A Systemic Failure in Communication and Care
The common thread weaving through all these accounts is a profound lack of clear communication and passenger assistance from the airline operators. The absence of timely updates, support for vulnerable passengers like Shashikala Kulkarni, and official documentation for those like the CRPF jawan points to a systemic breakdown in customer service during operational crises. The event highlights the urgent need for airlines to implement more robust contingency plans, especially for handling sensitive cases and providing real-time, accurate information to travelers facing uncertainty.
