Chaos and confusion gripped Chennai's MAA airport over the weekend as a massive wave of flight cancellations by IndiGo left thousands of passengers stranded. The airline cancelled a staggering 94 arrivals and departures on Saturday alone, forcing a surge in demand for alternative transport and prompting Southern Railways to step in with a series of special trains.
Airport Scenes: Counters Thronged, Virtual Support Closed
The situation outside the terminal building was described as noisy and chaotic. Scores of frustrated flyers crowded around IndiGo's counters, compelled to visit in person to check their flight status, cancel tickets, or reschedule their journeys. This was because the airline had completely shut down its virtual customer support channels for these operations, leaving no remote option for affected passengers.
Official data revealed the sheer scale of the disruption. Out of the 93 IndiGo flights scheduled to depart from Chennai on Saturday, only 42 operated. The remaining 51 flights were grounded. A SpiceJet flight on the Mumbai route was also cancelled. The ripple effect was significant: Chennai airport, which typically handles around 68,000 passengers daily across its three terminals, saw footfall plummet to just 38,000 on Saturday.
Chennai Airport Director, M Raja Kishore, stated that while the situation inside the terminal's check-in and security areas was normal—as only passengers with confirmed, operating flights were allowed entry—the counters outside were overwhelmed. He confirmed that IndiGo was offering free rescheduling for journeys until December 15 to the stranded travellers.
Railways to the Rescue with Special Train Services
Responding swiftly to the crisis, Southern Railways announced a slew of special train services to cater to the unexpected rush of stranded air passengers, compounded by the usual weekend travel demand. A railway official explained that arranging the rakes for special trains took a day, and on Friday, additional coaches were already being added to regular trains to manage the unusually long waiting lists.
The special trains announced include:
- Train No. 06012/06011: Nagercoil - Tambaram Superfast Special and return.
- Train No. 06108/06107: Thiruvananthapuram North – Chennai Egmore Express Special and return.
- Train No. 06024/06023: Coimbatore – Dr MGR Chennai Central Express Special and return.
- Train No. 06255/06256 & 06257/06258: KSR Bengaluru – Chennai Egmore/Dr MGR Chennai Central Express Specials and returns.
- Train No. 07147 & 06020: Chennai Egmore – Secunderabad and Charlapalli – Chennai Egmore Express Specials.
Airlines' Response and Lingering Disruptions
In an official statement, IndiGo explained the rationale behind the widespread cancellations. The airline stated it operated 1,500 flights out of its usual 2,300 across the country. "The main objective of Friday's cancellations was to reboot the network, systems, and rosters so that we could start afresh," the airline said. However, airport officials indicated that it might take at least two more days for airlines to resume 90% of their normal operations from Chennai.
Meanwhile, in a related move, Air India announced it was capping economy class airfares on both Air India and Air India Express flights. This measure was intended to prevent the automatic surge pricing typically triggered by revenue management systems during high demand. An Air India spokesperson added that they were also engaging with third-party ticket booking platforms to urge caution.
Authorities deployed additional personnel from the city police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the terminals to manage the crowds. The control room set up by the Airports Authority of India received approximately 220 calls from passengers, with most queries centred around flight cancellations and operations.
