Hyderabad: Chaos gripped Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for a second consecutive day on Thursday as IndiGo cancelled 37 outbound flights, leaving passengers stranded without clear information or alternative arrangements, sources said. A similar number of incoming flights were also cancelled.
Videos circulating on social media showed frustrated passengers arguing with airline staff and staging protest marches inside the terminal. On Wednesday, IndiGo had cancelled 19 flights from the airport.
Passengers described long waits and poor communication. “We have been at Hyderabad airport from yesterday 6:00 PM until today 9:00 AM—over 12 hours—with no action taken by IndiGo regarding the Pune flight,” one flyer said. Another posted: “Chaos at Hyderabad airport today—flights delayed 12+ hours. They kept pushing the accommodation by just two more hours repeatedly. Unacceptable.”
In a statement on Wednesday, RGIA said IndiGo flights were affected by airline-related technology and operational issues. Passengers were asked to contact the airline’s customer service for updates, with airport operations reported as normal.
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers acknowledged the disruptions, saying the airline’s immediate goal is to normalise operations and restore punctuality. He cited multiple operational challenges, including minor technology glitches, schedule changes, adverse weather, congestion, and implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations norms, which together created a cascading impact.
The airline operates around 2,300 flights daily, but on-time performance fell to 19.7 percent on December 3. Elbers apologised to customers, saying: “We serve close to 380,000 customers a day and want each of them to have a good experience. We could not live up to that promise these past days and have publicly apologised for that.”
