IndiGo Cancellations Trigger Airport Chaos: Passengers Report ‘Missing Captain’, Long Delays

The disruption triggered by IndiGo’s cancellation of more than 150 flights on Wednesday continued into Thursday, with passengers across major airports reporting long delays, confusion, and missing crew members. India’s largest airline is struggling to stabilise operations amid a severe staff shortage linked to newly implemented crew rostering rules.

Airports in Turmoil

Travellers took to social media early Thursday to describe chaotic scenes.
Nalanda Capital investor Anand Sridharan wrote that his 7 am IndiGo flight was indefinitely delayed because the captain was missing. “Officially, board says flight on time. Staff say Captain is missing,” he posted on X, adding that by the time the captain was found, the first officer had gone missing.

Another passenger, Aaraynsh, recounted multiple cancellations at Delhi airport before finally boarding — only for the aircraft to sit on the runway for nearly an hour because the cabin crew hadn’t arrived. “People heading for weddings, medical appointments etc are stuck,” he wrote.

IndiGo Issues Apology

IndiGo apologised for the widespread disruption and cautioned that cancellations would continue through Friday. The airline said it had begun “calibrated adjustments” to restore normalcy within 48 hours.

The carrier attributed the crisis to a combination of “unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor tech glitches, winter-related schedule adjustments, adverse weather, congestion in the aviation system, and the compounding impact of updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL).

On Wednesday alone, more than 100 IndiGo flights were cancelled nationwide — including 42 in Bengaluru, 38 in Delhi, 33 in Mumbai and 19 in Hyderabad, according to PTI sources.

Google Searches Surge

The airline has also been trending heavily on Google since Wednesday amid panicked passenger inquiries. Searches such as “Why are IndiGo flights getting delayed today?”, “IndiGo pilot strike”, and “IndiGo flights cancelled” saw sharp spikes. The highest search interest came from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, followed by Goa and Delhi.