Day 6 of IndiGo crisis: KIA reels under fresh cancellations, passenger plight

The operational meltdown at IndiGo Airlines entered its sixth straight day on Sunday, leaving the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in continued turmoil.

Though the number of stranded passengers has reduced since the initial days, mass cancellations are still disrupting crucial travel plans for hundreds and severely impacting travel agents.

On Sunday alone, 61 IndiGo flights were cancelled.

Even with the airline reportedly sending notifications five hours in advance, many passengers were still seen sleeping on terminal seats. The cancellations affected flights to Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mangaluru, Bhopal, Kochi, and Srinagar. Unlike the past few days, advance communication helped reduce the congestion that overwhelmed the airport earlier this week.

Caught in the crossfire

The city’s travel industry continues to bear the brunt.

Shankarmurthy, a travel agent who typically handles about 500 bookings a month, said the crisis has damaged both his business and his reputation.

“In the last four days, nearly 150 of my clients were stuck in different states. It was very hard to bring them back,” he said.

He recalled a Mumbai flight that was cancelled three times, leaving passengers waiting for 16 hours.

A group headed to Bhubaneswar saw their 7.20 am flight cancelled late Saturday night and have since faced repeated delays.

For elderly first-time flier Jyothi Patil, the experience was overwhelming. “Now, they say 6.30 pm. We have been waiting here for 12 hours and are afraid we may not reach our destination,” she said.

A Varanasi-bound pilgrimage group said their month-long planning was in jeopardy as their flight continued to remain under “delayed status”, derailing their itinerary.

Roshni, whose original flight was cancelled, rebooked a 1.30 pm flight at full fare only for it to be delayed as well. She said she was initially barred from boarding because staff did not have an updated passenger list.

Amid mounting frustration, senior Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj staged a protest near the Sadahalli toll plaza, demanding the arrest of senior IndiGo executives and a government takeover of the airline, calling the situation “worse than an emergency”.

He highlighted severe personal losses, including delays for passengers travelling for medical needs or to immerse a loved one’s ashes in Varanasi.

‘Worst aviation meltdown’

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in a post on X, called the IndiGo fiasco the “worst aviation meltdown in India’s history,” blaming it on the Centre’s “monopoly model”.

He said the ongoing chaos at KIA, which is India’s third-busiest airport, was hurting families, businesses, and the country’s reputation, urging the union government to act immediately.