Long queues, desperate passengers and a spate of flight cancellations led to a chaotic start to the day at Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Saturday as IndiGo’s nationwide operational crisis showed no sign of abating.
The unrest developed even after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) temporarily suspended its Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) directive. The decision to postpone the order came amid days of widespread delays and cancellations across IndiGo’s network, leaving passengers on several routes struggling to arrange their journeys.
According to airport authorities, seven arrivals and twelve departures were canceled in Ahmedabad alone between midnight and 6am on Saturday. The disruption led to unnecessary queues, overcrowded terminal areas and growing frustration among passengers left with limited options.
Among the worst affected was Mahrishi Jani, who was moved to tears as he recounted how the cancellation derailed an opportunity his team had been preparing for for months.
“I was scheduled to fly to Guwahati at 6:15 am; this was a connecting flight from Kolkata. We were selected for the Smart India Hackathon 2025; about 74,000 ideas were submitted and nearly 1,400 ideas were selected. Our hub was North-Eastern Hill University and we were supposed to perform there,” he told ANI.
Jani said that despite extensive preparations, the sudden cancellation left all eight members — six students and two mentors — without a workable travel plan. “We had IndiGo flights booked. But the flight is delayed, so we won’t be able to go there. There is no other possible mode of transport. If we go by train, it will take us 3 days to get there. Our 6-7 months of hard work is wasted now. We are returning home. Such opportunities are rare…We were selected in the first attempt, but due to the flight cancellation, we were accompanied by 6 people and could not go. mentors.”
Another traveller, Ikhlaq Hussain, described being stuck despite coming from overseas. “I have reached Ahmedabad from Jeddah and I am scheduled to head to Lucknow… I am stuck here for the last 2 days but the flight keeps getting delayed,” said Hussain.
