Guwahati Passengers Stranded as IndiGo Flight Chaos Continues

Guwahati's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) witnessed scenes of chaos on Saturday morning as IndiGo’s nationwide flight disruptions continued, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport. 

Passengers reported long hours of waiting, last-minute cancellations, and little to no communication from the airline, even as Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had assured that operations would begin to ease from Saturday.

At Guwahati Airport, travelers were caught off guard when flights were abruptly cancelled. An Indian Army personnel travelling with his family to Silchar said they received no prior intimation. According to reports, as many as 26 flights were cancelled.

“I received no intimation until last night. So, I reached here with my children and family. We were going to Silchar. But after we reached here, we came to know that my IndiGo flight was cancelled," he told the media.

Another passenger, Sukhchain, said his flight, originally scheduled for 6:30 pm on December 5, was rescheduled for 11 am Saturday, and then cancelled again. “Airlines said they will either initiate a refund or we will have to wait,” he said.

The disruption was not limited to the Northeast. At Delhi Airport, authorities reported one of the highest cancellation counts, with 106 IndiGo flights, 54 departures and 52 arrivals, cancelled as of Saturday morning. Hyderabad Airport confirmed 69 flight cancellations for the day, impacting overall airport operations. In Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport saw long queues and crowded terminals as travellers struggled with sudden cancellations.

Deepesh Srivastava, arriving from abroad, said he received no updates for his connecting flight to Nagpur.  

"I was out of India, and I landed here just this morning. I had a flight scheduled for Nagpur at 10.45 am...But this time, I am surprised; when I reached here, they said that the flight is cancelled...IndiGo has not given any further intimation. There is a huge crowd here...", he said.

Passengers expressed their frustration over the lack of timely updates. "We should remain calm. This is not a joke; there is a genuine problem, and that is why there is such a huge problem at hand. We should cooperate and help so that a solution comes out. At least we should not create more problems," said another passenger.

Civil Aviation Minister Naidu had earlier stated that operations were “on the verge of being resolved” and that metro airports like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai had largely cleared the backlog. However, IndiGo operations remained heavily disrupted nationwide.

In response, the Ministry of Civil Aviation issued two directives to stabilise flight schedules and restore services, particularly for IndiGo. The orders included measures such as automatic full refunds for cancelled tickets, accommodation arrangements for stranded passengers, lounge access and refreshments for senior citizens, and a 24x7 control room to monitor the situation in real-time. Passengers were also advised to track delays through IndiGo’s information systems from home.

The ministry assured that “all flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal by midnight tonight, with full services expected over the next couple of days.” Officials said the government is in constant consultation with airlines and taking all possible steps, including DGCA exemptions, to ensure minimal inconvenience to passengers.

Also Read: 'IndiGo at Fault, Not Govt': Civil Aviation Minister on Flight Chaos