Passengers across several major airports were left stranded on Wednesday as IndiGo cancelled more than 100 flights and delayed many others, triggering anger and confusion nationwide. Terminals in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune witnessed long queues and chaotic scenes, with frustrated travellers turning to social media to document hours-long waits and the lack of clear communication from the airline.
Photos and videos showed crowded halls resembling railway stations, passengers arguing with ground staff, and exhausted flyers struggling to make alternative arrangements.
The fun of Flying ended in the 90s 🥹. Reached in time at HYD Indigo terminal at 8:15 AM. All Indigo flights delayed . Packed food by then to eat in the flight. Shopping & rush back to see a full scale battle between the ground crew and passenger. Filth🤬. To make matters worse,… pic.twitter.com/rj7bCArbgD
— Naresh Vijaya Krishna (@ItsActorNaresh) December 3, 2025
In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged that its network had been “significantly disrupted” over the past two days. The airline apologised and said it would introduce “calibrated adjustments” to its schedules for the next 48 hours in an effort to stabilise operations.
Scale Of Cancellations
IndiGo has not issued official numbers, but reports suggest that more than 130 flights were cancelled across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. According to PTI, 42 flights were cancelled in Bengaluru and 19 in Hyderabad, while ANI reported 38 cancellations in Delhi. According to the Times of India said that 33 flights were cancelled in Mumbai by Wednesday evening.
Stranded Travellers Share Their Experiences
Social media platforms were inundated with accounts from passengers who described long delays, minimal assistance, and the absence of basic amenities, despite DGCA rules requiring airlines to provide refreshments after a delay of more than two hours.
Absolute chaos & mockery at #Delhiairport. #Indigo staff are leeches who are lying & passengers are stranded since past 12+ hours with no confirmatiom. My flight is delayed for 7+ hours now. Never flying Indigo again. This needs to be investigated @IndiGo6E @MoCA_GoI @RamMNK pic.twitter.com/Z7DAvK2Cei
— Amol Shah (@AmolShah95) December 2, 2025
One frustrated flyer wrote, “IndiGo6E continues to disappoint with delayed/cancelled flights. Scenes from Mumbai airport. Not a single top-level representative at the scene to handle the situation. Shame on you, Indigo. People have decided not to let any Indigo flight take off till other passengers get some clarity.”
A parent travelling with an infant posted: “I am travelling with an 8-month-old child. The flight has been delayed from 7:10 PM to 4:40 AM. With no guidance or facilities, this is completely inhumane. Please arrange accommodation.”
Another user wrote, “Complete chaos at Delhi airport. No response back from IndiGo for 21 hours. Hope DGCA ensures airlines run smoothly without passengers suffering.”
Some passengers said they had been waiting for 16 hours without any update. Others reported delays of more than three hours on domestic routes, missed connections, including international flights, and sudden overnight cancellations. One user posted: “Don’t fly indigo… they loot under the garb of cancellation charges… this is karma… one day it will shut down because of its malpractices!!”
IndiGo Issues Detailed Clarification
In its statement, the airline said, “A multitude of unforeseen operational challenges including minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to the winter season, adverse weather conditions, increased congestion in the aviation system and the implementation of updated crew rostering rules (Flight Duty Time Limitations) had a negative compounding impact on our operations in a way that was not feasible to be anticipated.”
Official statement by Indigo on cancellation of flights. pic.twitter.com/mgfSL7gT4I
— Ramnath Jayaraman (@RamnathJayraman) December 3, 2025
It added, “To contain the disruption and restore stability, we have initiated calibrated adjustments to our schedules. These measures will remain in place for the next 48 hours and will allow us to normalise our operations and progressively recover our punctuality across the network. Our teams are working around the clock to ease customer discomfort and ensure operations stabilise as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the affected customers are being offered alternate travel arrangements to reach their destinations or refunds, as applicable.”
Impact Of Updated FDTL Rules
The updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms, introduced to address pilot fatigue, have also contributed to the disruption. Under the revised rules, pilots must receive 48 hours of weekly rest, and the number of permitted night landings has been reduced from six to two.
DGCA data shows that IndiGo cancelled 1,232 flights in November, of which 755 were linked to crew shortages and compliance with FDTL regulations. The airline’s punctuality declined sharply, from 84.1 per cent in October to 67.7 per cent in November.
