India’s aviation sector faced another day of major disruption on December 4, when IndiGo canceled more than 300 domestic and international flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the country. It is the third straight day of flight chaos for the airline, which has sparked widespread anger online over delays, cancellations and a lack of communication.
Among those affected was Arun Prabhudesai, founder and CEO of Armoks Media, who posted a viral video on X (formerly Twitter) after his repeatedly delayed Pune-Delhi flight left passengers with no clear answer.
CEO slams IndiGo for ‘zero clarity’
Describing the airline’s operations, he wrote:
“SHAME ON IndiGo6E. One of my biggest events of the year is in danger of being canceled due to your absolute incompetence… Every time we ask the crew if the flight is actually going to take off or will be cancelled, we are not clear. No answers, no accountability.”
His flight, which was first scheduled for 1:05 p.m., was pushed to 1:25 p.m., then to 3:30 p.m., and finally to 6:00 p.m. Prabhudesai claimed the uncertainty threatened his main event – and the millions spent on it. Several other passengers shared similar experiences online, with many pointing to severe crew shortages and new DGCA norms that halted operations.
IndiGo issues fresh apology, promises automatic refunds
On Friday, IndiGo apologized to passengers affected by the disruption of domestic flights departing from Delhi. The statement stated:
“We will ensure that all refunds for your cancellations are processed automatically according to your original payment method.”
The airline added that it has arranged thousands of hotel rooms in various cities along with ground transportation to support stranded customers and minimize inconvenience.
However, some social media users questioned why disabled passengers had not explored alternative travel options sooner.
IndiGo CEO responds as DGCA launches probe
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers separately acknowledged the crisis, saying the airline had failed to deliver the experience it promises its 380,000 daily fliers. He attributed the cascading delay to a combination of technical glitches, weather issues, aviation congestion and the implementation of revised crew time standards (FDTL).
Meanwhile, the DGCA has launched a probe into the widespread lapses. IndiGo has asked for 48 hours to stabilize flight schedules and restore operations to normal.
