Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
This week, IndiGo has encountered significant flight disruptions in India, stranding countless travelers and posing unexpected hurdles. A newlywed couple from Bhubaneswar and Hubballi exemplified this issue, having to attend their own wedding reception via video call after their flights were cancelled.
Medha Kshirsagar from Hubballi and Sangama Das from Bhubaneswar, both software engineers based in Bengaluru, celebrated their marriage on November 23 in Bhubaneswar. Their reception was planned for December 3 at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi. Unfortunately, ongoing pilot shortages led to widespread flight cancellations, preventing the couple from arriving on time.
They had secured tickets for the journey from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru to Hubballi; however, delays persisted throughout December 2, culminating in their flight’s cancellation on December 3. Similar unfortunate events affected relatives traveling along the Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Hubballi route.
As guests gathered and final arrangements were made, the bride’s parents took over their roles to perform the needed rituals. Medha and Sangama, all set in their wedding attire in Bhubaneswar, participated in the reception virtually, ensuring their presence was felt despite being miles away. The bride's mother explained, "The wedding was supposed to happen on December 3, but our flight was cancelled at 4 AM. We couldn’t postpone the celebration, so we arranged for them to join online instead."
IndiGo, the largest airline in India, has cancelled hundreds of flights this week due to challenges in aligning roster planning with newly introduced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). With around 2,200 daily flights, the airline reported that over 500 flights were cancelled in a single day, marking an unprecedented disruption in its two-decade history.
Major airports in Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad felt the impact. IndiGo has notified the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about expectations for flight operations to stabilize by February 10, 2026, while seeking temporary relaxations on duty constraints. They also indicated that cancellations would persist until December 8, along with a service reduction forecasted from that date.
Travelers throughout India are grappling with ongoing inconveniences as the disruptions underscore planning deficiencies and the challenges linked to new regulatory measures. IndiGo recognizes its missteps in executing the FDTL rules' second phase and assures customers that these disruptions are temporary, with a return to normal operations promised in the months ahead.
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