Chaos erupted across major airports on Tuesday as IndiGo cancelled at least 85 flights nationwide — including 38 from Delhi and 33 from Mumbai — throwing travel plans of thousands into disarray. The disruptions, attributed to a mix of crew unavailability, technical snags, and heavy airport traffic, triggered frustration among passengers and a wave of complaints online.

In a statement addressing the crisis, IndiGo acknowledged the widespread issues. “Our network has faced major operational challenges over the past two days. We sincerely regret the disruption and apologise to all affected customers,” the airline said.

Videos from multiple airports flooded social media, showing agitated travellers confronting IndiGo personnel. Many passengers posted furious messages on X, tagging top government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu.

One traveller stranded at Delhi Airport wrote, “Total chaos — I’ve been stuck here for more than seven hours,” while another accused the airline of misleading customers and said delays had stretched beyond 12 hours. Some posts highlighted protests by Ayyappa devotees at Hyderabad Airport after long, unexplained delays.

According to sources, a significant contributor to IndiGo’s operational troubles is the revised Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules introduced last month. The updated guidelines have reshaped pilot schedules, intensifying the shortage of available crew and straining the airline’s workforce further.

The winter rush has added to the pressure, with passenger numbers rising sharply. “When footfall increases, the load on manpower and systems naturally goes up,” a source explained.

Technical issues have also compounded the airline’s problems. IndiGo confirmed that minor system glitches slowed down the processing of passengers, adding to the delays.

“A variety of unexpected operational hurdles — including tech issues, winter scheduling changes, weather-related constraints, congestion in the aviation network, and new rostering norms — converged in a manner we could not foresee,” the airline said.

IndiGo is currently working to stabilise its operations, resolve system faults, and maintain its flight schedules. However, internal sources emphasise that crew shortages continue to be the airline’s most pressing challenge.