With the ongoing delays and cancellations of IndiGo flights across the country, a video has surfaced online showing a heated argument between passengers and airline staff at the counter at the Mumbai airport.
In a video shared by ANI on his X handle, IndiGo passengers at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were seen engaging in a heated argument with airline staff at the ticket counter.
One of the passengers expressed concern, mainly pointing out how they had been left without food at the airport for the last three to four days.
The passenger kept asking to see the manager by knocking on the glass window but was told not to while several other passengers voiced their concerns.
IndiGo crisis
Several such videos have surfaced online showing IndiGo passengers expressing concern as air travel across India was disrupted this week and the airline canceled thousands of flights.
For five consecutive days, IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, has canceled hundreds of flights, mainly due to crew shortage. As a result, with fewer operational flights, ticket prices on some routes have increased significantly.
On Friday, when IndiGo canceled more than 1,000 flights from various airports, CEO Pieter Elbers apologized in a video message for the significant inconvenience caused to passengers due to the disruption.
However, the airline expected fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday, the CEO noted.
Government action
Amid the cancellations, the civil aviation ministry has directed IndiGo to process all pending passenger refunds without delay. Refunds for all canceled or interrupted flights must be completed by 20:00 on Sunday 7 December 2025. Airlines are also not allowed to charge passengers affected by the cancellation to change flights. The ministry emphasized that any delay or non-compliance with the refund procedure will result in immediate regulatory action.
In order to address passenger complaints, IndiGo has been directed to set up dedicated support and refund units. These teams are responsible for proactively reaching out to affected passengers and ensuring that compensation and alternative travel arrangements are processed effectively, reducing the need for multiple follow-up checks. The automatic refund system will continue to operate until operations are fully stabilized.
Rising ticket prices
In a separate announcement, the government on Saturday, November 6, issued instructions to all airlines to strictly adhere to fare caps “until the situation is fully stabilised”.
The government’s directive comes after ticket prices on various airlines rose sharply on Friday, with SpiceJet’s one-way, one-stop economy class flight from Kolkata to Mumbai on December 6 costing as much ₹90,000. Similarly, a comparable Air India ticket on the Mumbai-Bhubaneswar route fetched up to ₹84,485, reported by PTI.
