Thousands of travellers across India faced chaos on Tuesday and Wednesday as IndiGo - the country’s largest airline — grappled with massive delays and widespread cancellations caused by an acute crew shortage. With on-time performance plunging to just 35 per cent, passengers were left stranded for hours, missing business meetings, family events and crucial connections during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru were among the hardest hit, with close to 200 flights cancelled by Wednesday afternoon and delays stretching up to eight hours. “For some flights, there was simply no cabin crew available,” an airport official said, noting that attempts to shuttle staff across bases were falling short. “Things are out of hand. No one thought IndiGo — known for punctuality — would drop below even Alliance Air and SpiceJet.”
The disruptions worsened after new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms took effect last month reducing workloads for crew but sharply reducing roster flexibility.
In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the disruptions and attributed them to “technology issues, airport congestion, and operational requirements.” The airline said it was offering alternative flights or refunds where possible and added, “We regret the inconvenience caused to our valued customers… Our teams are working diligently to normalise operations.”
Frustrated passengers shared their experiences on social media. One traveller stuck in Hyderabad wrote, “I have been stranded since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.” Another posted, “My Hyderabad-Udaipur flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. Is this a joke? I was updated only three minutes before entering the airport.”
At Delhi Airport, a slowdown linked to the widely used Amadeus system — responsible for check-ins, reservations and departure control — added to the gridlock, further slowing processing at a time when IndiGo was already wrestling with staff shortages.
