Krishnaswamy kasturirangan, Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi

IndiGo is facing a major operational crisis since early December 2025, with over 2,100 flight cancellations and severe delays caused by technical issues, new crew rules, congestion, weather, and overstretched schedules. Airports have seen chaos with stranded passengers and misplaced luggage. The Civil Aviation Ministry ordered IndiGo to issue full refunds, waive fees, and stabilise operations within 48 hours, while also launching a 24x7 helpline. The DGCA issued a show-cause notice to IndiGo’s CEO seeking explanations for the disruptions. IndiGo has apologised, formed a Crisis Management Group, and promised automatic refunds and recovery measures. Speaking with Lokmat Times few passengers who bought IndiGo tickets shared what difficulties they had to face while travelling.Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport faced major disruption due to widespread IndiGo flight delays and cancellations, affecting overall operations. Mumbai resident Rustam Sarfraz said his IndiGo flight scheduled for December 5 was cancelled, forcing him to book a last-minute Air India ticket, which turned out to be significantly more expensive. Speaking with Lokmat Times, he said, “I was travelling to Delhi from Mumbai on December 2. My flight was supposed to take off at 9 am as I had to reach my office by 12:30 pm in Delhi, but my Indigo flight was delayed by 3.5 hours, and I was still in Mumbai at 12:30 pm. The 9 am flight finally departed from Mumbai Airport around 1 pm. As I was on a work trip, I had booked my return flight from Delhi to Mumbai for December 5 through IndiGo as well. My flight was supposed to leave Delhi at 9 pm, but it got cancelled, and I had to book with Air India last moment, which was going to fly at 10 pm. It costs me Rs 24,000. Normally, Delhi to Mumbai flights are around cost around Rs 4000 to Rs 5000, but due to Indigo cancellation, I had to travel one more hour late, and I paid almost triple the normal cost.”Many have missed their weddings and family events due to the ongoing IndiGo crisis. Another passenger from Mumbai, Upasana Sahay, was supposed to travel from Mumbai to Jabalpur on December 7, as it is her wedding, said that she had to look for another mode of transport now. On the Mumbai-Jabalpur route, the flights are primarily operated by IndiGo Airlines. She said, “My wedding is on December 10 & 11 in Jabalpur, a small city with very limited flight connectivity. With just one flight a day from each sector, even getting there has felt like a hurdle. Thankfully, we managed to secure train tickets under Tatkal. As the days draw closer and the situation with IndiGo flights shows no sign of improvement, the stress has reached an overwhelming high. Because I am now travelling by train, my wedding outfits are scattered across cities. My lehenga is stuck in Delhi, my saree for the bidai is in Bengaluru, and I am here without either of the two things a bride dreams of most. On top of it all, there is uncertainty around whether guests will make it in time, including my bua, who travelled all the way from London just to be by my side.”Another passenger, Shivasree Venkateswaran, who booked an IndiGo flight from Kochi to Chennai along with her toddler on December 5, stated that her travel became extremely stressful. Speaking with Lokmat Times, she said, “Thousands of flyers have been affected, with hundreds and even over 1,000 flights cancelled on some days. Being stranded for hours was particularly difficult for me since I had to manage my baby’s comfort, feeding, and naps without clear support from the airline. Overall, the cancellations and delays made the trip uncomfortable and stressful — you feel uncertain if your flight will actually depart or not.” IndiGo operates about 60–65% of domestic flights in India, so when so many flights were cancelled, other airlines had to carry more passengers. That caused ticket prices to soar higher across the board. She said, “For me, travelling with a baby already has extra expenses, so fare increases meant added stress on my budget, with higher prices even for limited options on other airlines. So, usually flight prices vary from Rs 2000 to 3000 since it's a one-hour journey, but now it's Rs 15,000.”Speaking about the refund status of her ticket, she said, “They said we will have to first scan the ticket, then upload the ticket on the website, then after 48 hours we will get our refund.”When all three were asked if they would travel in future via IndiGo, they said that if operations improve in future, and only if they feel that there won’t be any inconvenience caused, they might consider travelling again. Upasana Sahay said, “While the airline may currently be facing operational challenges, the reality is that for many smaller cities, there is no alternative. In my case, IndiGo is the only airline that flies to Jabalpur. Despite the present issues, I will continue to travel with them, as they have been one of the most consistent airlines, and I hope they return to that standard soon. Shivasree Venkateswaran said, “I would rather travel via train in 2nd AC. Right now, I am hesitant about flying with IndiGo again. The recent crisis and service problems — cancellations, delays, poor communication, and lack of care, especially when travelling with a small child — have shaken my confidence in the airline. Unless I see great improvements in how they handle operations and customer service, I would think twice before booking with them again.” Answering the same question, Rustam Sarfraz said, “Maybe I will travel with Indigo in future, depending on how fast they are going to improve their services. As I feel Indigo has majorly occupied in Airlines market, they will surely work out at best.”

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