Chandigarh (Rajeev Sharma): Travellers at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport woke up to yet another morning of uncertainty on Thursday, with IndiGo’s operational meltdown stretching into its third consecutive day. Early morning schedules took a hit as five outbound flights and two inbound services were delayed, leaving passengers scrambling to replan their travel.
IndiGo’s troubles are not limited to Chandigarh. On Wednesday alone, the carrier scrapped over 100 flights nationwide, while dozens more departed behind schedule. The widespread disruption has sparked concern across the aviation sector, given the airline’s dominance in India’s domestic market.
Regulator seeks answers
With the situation worsening, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal inquiry. The regulator has asked IndiGo to explain the root of its current crisis and detail the corrective measures it intends to roll out to bring cancellations and delays under control.
Officials noted that the airline is already executing a series of planned cutbacks—cancelling some services and adjusting timings of others—to ease pressure on its strained operations.
IndiGo cites compounding operational setbacks
In a statement addressing the disruptions, IndiGo said its network had been hit by a cluster of challenges over the past two days. The company, which operates roughly 2,300 flights daily, apologised to affected passengers and pointed to several contributing factors, including:
- Smaller-scale technology malfunctions
- Seasonal winter scheduling constraints
- Weather-related disturbances
- Increased congestion within airspace
- New crew rostering requirements under revised Flight Duty Time Limitations
According to the airline, these overlapping issues produced a cascading operational slowdown that was difficult to foresee.
Passengers express anger as cancellations rise
Scenes of agitated passengers confronting airport staff circulated widely on social media on Wednesday, underscoring the growing frustration among travellers. Many reported receiving little advance notice about cancellations, while others waited hours for updates.
Aviation data indicated a broader pattern behind the disruption:
- 258 flights were cancelled due to restrictions in airspace or airport operations
- 92 flights were dropped after an Air Traffic Control system failure
- 127 were cancelled for miscellaneous operational reasons
As IndiGo works to stabilise its schedule, officials caution that travellers may continue to face irregularities in the short term. For those flying through Chandigarh, the prospect of further delays remains high until the airline regains its operational footing.
