NEW DELHI: Confusion, anger and exhaustion marked the experience of thousands of passengers at IGI Airport on Monday as IndiGo’s operational disruptions entered the sixth day, though the situation showed signs of stabilising.
Flyers stood in long queues at the airline’s ticketing counters, searching for answers as delays and cancellations upended travel plans. Some passengers were seen losing their cool at ground staff, with a few turning aggressive and abusive. Videos of these incidents have been circulating on social media.
CISF personnel confirmed that the situation had calmed considerably compared to the chaos witnessed on Friday.
Many travellers said the disruption had thrown their schedules into complete disarray. Distressed passengers crowded near the IndiGo office, demanding clear information and immediate solutions. One anguished flyer was heard telling a staff member.
“You cannot do this to me.” Srijana, a passenger from Hyderabad travelling to New York with her husband and young daughter, said they were forced to change their entire itinerary due to a 2.5-hour delay. “We were supposed to catch a connecting flight from New Delhi to New York but due to the delay, we missed the flight. We spent a good 3.5 hours at the airport even after landing,” she said.
The family was given accommodation, but the uncertainty continued. “As soon as we were about to reach, around 5 am, the airline informed us that we were being accommodated in a flight leaving around 6.30 am. This has caused us much inconvenience, and it is especially hard as we are travelling with a child,” she added.
Another couple, Sooraj and Kiran, travelling from Hong Kong to Bengaluru, had their connecting flight from Delhi cancelled. Sooraj said the airline informed them that accommodation costs would be reimbursed up to Rs 10,000 and their journey was rescheduled to Monday morning.
“It is inconvenient as we have elderly parents at home and work meetings to attend. Our plans did get disrupted. And the airline is not doing us a favour by offering accommodation. I think it is only ethical for them to do so,” he said. Baggage chaos added to the distress. Though officials made no comment, a large number of bags were seen piled up at T1, with many struggling to locate their luggage.
