Frequent cancellations by IndiGo frustrate passengers; Call for higher civil aviation authorities to look into issue

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The repeated cancellations of IndiGo flights on the Mumbai–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Mumbai route over the past few days have sparked strong reactions from passengers and tourism stakeholders. Despite normal weather conditions and steady passenger demand, the airline has been scrapping services, citing ‘operational reasons,’ leaving many stranded and inconvenienced.

In the last one week, IndiGo cancelled its scheduled flights on Saturday evening and Monday morning, a pattern also witnessed during the Diwali festive season. The move has raised questions among travellers and travel agents, who have demanded accountability from the airline and stronger intervention from aviation authorities.

Amit Jain, secretary of the Travel Agents Association of Aurangabad (TAAA), said, “The last-minute cancellation decisions cause immense trouble to passengers, especially those with connecting flights from Mumbai. The DGCA must enforce stricter guidelines to ensure airlines remain accountable to passengers.”

Expressing similar concern, Civil Aviation Committee (ATDF) Chairman Sunit Kothari said, “Frequent last-minute cancellations disrupt passengers’ plans. If technical issues are the cause, the airline must ensure they do not recur. We’ve also learned that flights from Pune faced similar cancellations.”

Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) President Jaswant Singh said the issue will be raised with higher authorities. “Frequent flight cancellations hurt the city’s tourism prospects. We will ensure the matter is addressed to protect the interests of visitors and local stakeholders,” he added.

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Shortage of aircraft likely

behind cancellations

Sources indicated that IndiGo’s limited fleet of ATR aircraft and high passenger demand (on different routes) after the festive period may be driving the cancellations. “The airline appears to be prioritizing routes with heavier passenger loads, while treating the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar sector casually. During Diwali, cancellations, though with prior notice, left several families distressed as they struggled to reach their destinations. There is no accountability or consistency in service, and DGCA must step in urgently,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, officials from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) said that IndiGo had attributed the cancellations to operational issues.

Indigo comment not available

This scribe made repeated calls to the local head of the IndiGo, Aniruddha Patil, to know the reason behind cancellations of flights, but he was not available for a comment. The counter staff at the airport claimed that he was out of station.

The efforts to contact vice-president, Corporate Communications, Rashmi Soni, who looks after media related queries, also proved futile.

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IndiGo operates two ATR flights (morning and evening) daily to Mumbai. Following are cancelled flights:

November 1 - Evening flight to Mumbai slated for 9.15 pm

November 3 - Morning flight to Mumbai slated for 7.10 am.