IndiGo cancellations paralyze Hyderabad airport as 69 flights canceled
IndiGo cancellations paralyze Hyderabad airport as 69 flights canceled
IndiGo disruptions hit RGIA hard, with 69 flights canceled and hundreds stranded, forcing travelers to seek trains, cabs, or new bookings.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport was left grappling with a fresh wave of IndiGo cancellations as hundreds of passengers faced long waits, shifting queues, and dwindling options for getting home. On Saturday, 69 flights were canceled at RGIA, including 43 departures and 26 arrivals, intensifying a crisis now in its fifth day and sparking urgent questions about rebooking and compensation.
Hardeep Singh stood outside the terminal, wiping sweat from his face as he tried to explain his predicament. The 43-year-old had traveled for work and now found himself stranded around 2,000 kilometres from home, clutching his phone and replaying a video of his house fire back home. “My house has caught fire,” he said, breaking down as he recalled the images. He pleaded for a flight back to his family, hoping for a resolution soon.
Other travelers shared similar frustration. Bhargavi, en route from Mumbai to Vijayawada via Hyderabad, described missing a connecting flight due to delays, while Gentrye and Ryan, visitors from the United States who had spent weeks touring India, contemplated alternative routes—potentially a train or a cab directly to Jamshedpur for a wedding. “We had to travel to Jamshedpur from Varanasi for a wedding, but now with this cancellation, we are planning either to book a train or cab directly to Jamshedpur,” they said.
The scale of disruption extended beyond Hyderabad. Reports across major airports indicated IndiGo had canceled hundreds more flights, contributing to a nationwide travel meltdown that left passengers scrambling for alternative arrangements and higher fares on other carriers. In response to the crisis, aviation authorities signaled changes to flight-time regulations in an attempt to ease the strain, with the regulator rolling back portions of the Flight Duty Time Limitations rules to provide some relief to crews and carriers.
Amid the chaos, IndiGo has warned that full operational recovery is not expected until February 2026, underscoring the breadth of the disruption. Passengers at RGIA and across the country await updates, hoping for clearer guidance on rebooking, refunds, and compensation as the airline works to restore schedules and restore confidence in air travel.
Passengers continue to endure long queues, misplaced bags, and rising fares as the industry recalibrates, with many counting on swift word from the airline and regulators to chart a path back to normalcy.
Cover image source: IndiGo meltdown: DGCA caves in, eases crew duty rules amid flight disruptions 🔗
