New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) Passengers continue to remain in dire straits amid the ongoing IndiGo airline crisis, as flight cancellations and long queues at four major airports left countless travelers distressed.
Stranded at airports across the country, many passengers said they felt confused and helpless, with no clear guidance on how to continue their important journeys. Several claimed that flights were abruptly cancelled without any viable alternative arrangements, further intensifying their frustration.
While some travelers had work-related commitments and others have personal reasons to travel and those traveling due to emergencies were left with no choice but to endure long delays or pay exorbitant prices for alternative flights.
This situation highlights the growing plight of passengers who find themselves stranded when they can least afford it.The situation worsened on Friday due to multiple flight cancellations by the airline.
Long queues were seen at check-in counters at major airports, including Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where angry passengers were seen expressing their frustration at airline staff.
Large crowds, making noise and moving helplessly from one counter to another, created a tense atmosphere at the airports, making it challenging for security forces to manage the situation.
Sources said that airport security has been stepped up, with the deployment of CISF personnel beyond the usual full strength to ensure passenger safety and to be prepared for any challenging situation.
An angry passenger said, “I was supposed to attend a business meeting in another city, but I couldn’t make it because of the delay in my flight.”
There were also reports of passengers facing issues with missing baggage amid the chaos.
Meanwhile, the government has stepped in and ordered the carrier to process refunds to provide relief to passengers, while also capping fares to prevent airlines from imposing unusually high ticket prices.
Many passengers have taken to social media to express their grievances, stating that they were under tremendous stress due to the disruptions and urging the authorities to provide a solution.
In a related incident, filmmaker Kiran Rao’s international trip to Tokyo was thrown into disarray on Saturday as massive IndiGo disruptions left her, along with thousands of others, stranded.
Rao, who spent more than 11 hours inside Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 2, took to Instagram to express her frustration over repeated delays and lack of clear communication from the airline.
She shared that despite travelling for over 11 hours , time in which she should have already reached Tokyo, she remained stuck inside the terminal with no confirmed update from the airline.
Adding humor to her ordeal, she wrote, “By now (11 hours since I left home) I should’ve reached Tokyo, but it was nice to get to know Mumbai T2 really well, thanks to IndiGo. And now I’m checking on how Delhi is doing with GRAP II. Good day, all in all.”
The chaos comes amid nationwide operational disruptions that have led to more than 2,000 flight cancellations since Tuesday. IndiGo also announced the cancellation of all domestic departures from Delhi Airport on December 5, 2025, citing severe operational challenges.
The government has taken serious note of unusually high fares being charged by some carriers and is using regulatory powers to enforce fair and reasonable pricing across affected routes.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also mandated that IndiGo clear all pending passenger refunds by 8 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
The disruptions have caused domestic airfares to surge 4–5 times above normal rates. For instance, the cheapest non-IndiGo economy ticket from Delhi to Mumbai on Sunday was priced at over ₹22,000, while delayed IndiGo flights were selling for over Rs14,000.
