Piles of Luggage, Chaos at Airports as IndiGo Cancels Record 500+ Flights Across India

At various airports around India, sheer mayhem broke out as IndiGo, the country's biggest airline, had to cancel more than 500 flights in less than a day, marking the worst-ever operational breakdown for the company in almost 20 years. Bystanders slept on the floor, with baggage left unclaimed here and there, leading to a sort of travel mess that spanned the country as whole.

While the bags stood outside amidst the so-called chaos of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, journalists at NDTV pointed out that there were thousands waiting unclaimed and passengers confusedly searching after having waited for more than 12 hours.

A packed group of passengers recollected being abandoned with no food, water, or updates as the counters at the airline remained unmanned for extremely long periods.

Angry Passengers, Hours-Long Waits, No Clarity

At multiple airports, frustrated travellers broke down in tears, raised slogans, and demanded explanations from staff.

“This is mental torture,” said one passenger who had been waiting at Delhi airport for over 12 hours. “Every time they tell us one hour, then two hours. We were travelling for a wedding and our luggage was stuck. No one from IndiGo is telling us anything.”

Another traveller added, “It’s been 14 hours. No vouchers, no food, no water. My connecting flight was cancelled, and there is absolutely no communication from the airline.”

Chaos Spreads to Hyderabad, Goa, Chennai, and Pune

At Hyderabad airport, passengers staged angry protests, with some even blocking an Air India flight in frustration after hours without accommodation or basic assistance.

In Goa, videos showed a crowd shouting at IndiGo staff as police intervened to calm the escalating situation.

At Chennai airport, hundreds of passengers were stranded as CISF personnel temporarily restricted entry for IndiGo travellers due to overcrowding.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam airport reported 49 departures and 43 arrivals cancelled.

Pune Airport also faced major disruptions, with 16 arrivals and 16 departures cancelled. A flight from Nagpur was diverted to Hyderabad due to crew duty-time limitations. Authorities said IndiGo aircraft occupying parking bays created congestion, causing a ripple effect of delays for other airlines.

Despite the turmoil, the airport assured that all operational teams had been deployed to manage crowds and maintain smooth functioning.

Over 550 IndiGo Flights Cancelled — A New Record

IndiGo’s troubles worsened on Friday as the airline cancelled more than 550 flights, spanning major hubs:

• Delhi: 225 cancellations
• Mumbai: 104
• Bengaluru: 102
• Hyderabad: 92
• Bhopal: at least 5

The airline informed government authorities that it had misjudged crew requirements under revised safety norms and faced severe planning gaps. Crew shortages coincided with winter congestion and weather-related delays, worsening the situation.

The aviation regulator DGCA temporarily rolled back changes to night duty definitions and caps on night landings to stabilise operations.

IndiGo has warned that disruptions may continue for another 2–3 days, and the airline will cut down flight operations from December 8 to restore normalcy.

In a message to staff, CEO Pieter Elbers admitted that fixing operations and restoring punctuality “will not be an easy target.”

IndiGo Issues Public Apology

Late last night, IndiGo issued a formal apology to customers, saying:

“The last two days have seen widespread disruption across IndiGo’s network and operations. We extend a heartfelt apology to all our customers and industry stakeholders who have been impacted by these events.”

The airline added that it is working with the Civil Aviation Ministry, DGCA, BCAS, AAI, and airport operators to reduce the cascading impact and restore normal operations at the earliest.