IndiGo Flight Cancellations Leave Sick Passengers Stranded; Nationwide Aviation Crisis Escalates

Thiruvananthapuram: The nationwide disruption in the aviation sector has caused immense hardship for passengers across India. Margaret, who arrived from US seeking medical treatment, is one among those severely affected. “I sat like this for 17 hours without a wheelchair. Even after complaining, there was no response,” said Margaret, a heart patient, describing the cruelty she faced at the hands of IndiGo.

Because she did not get her connecting flight to Mumbai, Margaret said her return journey to the US also remains uncertain.

Amidst protests, IndiGo cancelled five more flights from Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning. All domestic services scheduled from 6 am onwards were withdrawn.

On Saturday, when IndiGo cancelled more than 500 flights, protests erupted at airports across the country targeting the central government. Meanwhile, other airlines increased ticket prices, worsening the situation and adding to the passengers’ troubles.

Exploiting the crisis, several airlines hiked fares to extreme levels, resulting in what passengers described as “daylight robbery.” The Union Ministry stepped in thereafter and imposed fare caps. These limits apply only to crisis-affected routes. Although the government set the caps, they are yet to be fully implemented.

The central government appears helpless amid IndiGo’s massive service disruptions. While mass cancellations triggered a nationwide crisis, the government could do little beyond issuing a few instructions. Even decisions such as fare regulation have not been fully enforced. The Centre has also not provided any official explanation for the prolonged crisis.

IndiGo has attributed the situation to lapses in implementing new duty-time schedules and mandatory rest rules for pilots, along with certain technical issues. But questions remain as to how these factors snowballed into a crisis lasting several days. When opposition MPs raised the issue in Parliament, the central government still offered no clarification.