Pune: Severe travel disruption hit passengers at Pune Airport on Thursday as dozens of flights were delayed through the day amid worsening winter conditions and operational snags. Travellers reported being stranded for hours with little clarity from airline staff, triggering rising frustration across terminals.
Airport officials stated that dense morning haze and deteriorating visibility led to a cascading impact on arrival and departure schedules. However, the crisis deepened nationally after IndiGo — India’s largest carrier — continued to face major disruptions for the second consecutive day.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has summoned IndiGo’s senior management for an urgent meeting in Delhi following the airline’s cancellation of over 100 flights on Wednesday. Sources indicate that heavy cancellations and delays may continue, with more than 100 additional flights across the country likely to be affected today as well.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport also remained severely hit, where 33 outbound and 35 inbound flights are expected to be cancelled. On Wednesday alone, IndiGo scrapped 19 flights from Hyderabad, leaving passengers stranded overnight.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, IndiGo said the airline had been hit by “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor technological issues, extreme congestion during peak winter, adverse weather patterns and the rollout of new crew duty time regulations (FDTL), which have sharply limited rostering flexibility.
Passenger anger, however, intensified online as flyers shared experiences of long delays, lack of communication, and inadequate arrangements.
One traveller wrote: “We have been at Hyderabad Airport since yesterday evening. More than 12 hours have passed and IndiGo hasn’t taken any action. This is unacceptable and extremely stressful.”
Another passenger described “total chaos”, noting repeated assurances of “just two more hours” while accommodation was denied.
