Chaos Erupts at Delhi Airport Over IndiGo Flight Delays: What Happened?

Passenger Outrage at Delhi Airport

New Delhi: A significant uproar unfolded at Delhi airport on Saturday as passengers expressed their frustration over the delay of an IndiGo flight to Purnea. This incident followed a previous cancellation of the same flight the day before, which had already caused considerable inconvenience.

Passengers reported that IndiGo flight 6E 9076, which was supposed to depart from Delhi to Purnea, faced delays after being cancelled on Friday, forcing many to alter their travel arrangements.

The situation escalated at the boarding counter, where angry travelers protested the ongoing delays.

Many passengers noted that the flight had been cancelled the previous day, prompting them to rearrange their plans.

On Saturday, the airline attributed the delay to adverse weather conditions, although some travelers claimed that staff later mentioned a lack of available pilots as the reason.

Earlier in the day, IndiGo had issued warnings to passengers about potential delays and cancellations due to "reduced visibility and fog" affecting multiple airports.

This incident follows a recent wave of cancellations by IndiGo, which on December 29, 2024, had to cancel 118 flights due to a combination of weather issues and operational challenges.

Of these cancellations, six were due to operational constraints, while the rest were attributed to poor weather at various airports.

IndiGo has been facing significant operational disruptions over the past month.

In early December, the airline cancelled thousands of flights, including around 1,600 in a single day, after new regulations regarding pilot duty and rest periods were enforced by the courts, leaving many passengers stranded.

Since the fog season began on December 10, the airline has continued to cancel numerous flights.

On December 25, IndiGo cancelled 67 flights to various destinations, citing weather-related issues, and on Saturday alone, another 57 flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has designated the period from December 10 to February 10 as the official fog window for winter, during which flight operations are frequently disrupted by low visibility.