IndiGo Delayed, Cancelled Hundreds of Flights

Several major airports in India are facing turbulence on the ground, as chaos has ensued after India's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled or delayed more than 500 flights. The constant delays and cancellations have left passengers frustrated, as they struggle to find clarity on refunds and rebooking options or make arrangements for the cancellations. As airports are thronged with passengers, especially during this busy travel season, it creates a shambles. However, Indigo has also issued an apology and ensured that flights are regular again as of February 10th; however, travelers are still confused about what caused such havoc. We will delve in-depth into the reasons that are actually responsible for such results. 

Why are IndiGo flights being canceled or delayed?

Several statements have been made in the past few days by IndiGo's side, blaming minor technology glitches, schedule changes linked to winter, unfavourable weather conditions, high congestion in the aviation system, and the updated crew rostering rules. This spontaneous occurrence has dropped IndiGo's on-time performance by 8.5%. However, as stated by 'The Hindu' multiple times, the airlines' twisted pilot planning and rostering, along with imposing more rigid rest and duty norms from November 1st, have led to this havoc. 

The Hindu's Jagriti Chandra has stated that, "It is the implementation of the latter that the airline has been grappling with shortages and making requests to pilots to cancel their leaves. However, a brewing unrest over the past many years means pilots are in no mood to cooperate. Being pushed to the upper limit of 13 hours of duty period allowed under DGCA norms, no salary hikes despite profits to the tune of ₹7000 crore being posted by the airline, combined with the latest furore over the airline twisting the meaning of new norms on pilot duty hours to its advantage, had angered them deeply." 

According to the BBC, the airline is being criticized by the Airline Pilots Association of India, which has stated that any relief granted to the airline regarding duty timings undermines the spirit of the new guidelines and also puts the public's life at risk. Additionally, cancellations that occurred on Friday surpassed the 400 mark. Considering the statistics, 118 flights were cancelled in Mumbai, 100 in Bengaluru, 75 in Hyderabad, 35 in Kolkata, 26 in Chennai, and 11 in Goa. 

What is IndiGo doing as Compensation for cancelled or delayed Flights? 

IndiGo has announced that it will waive all cancellation or rescheduling requests for travel scheduled between December 5 & 15, and will compensate passengers by providing hotel rooms and food for those who experience unforeseen events. However, passengers seem to be growing increasingly frustrated with this situation and have shared their concerns on social media, expressing their anger about not being informed about the flight's disruption and being left at the airport with no food. 

On the evening of Thursday, the airline posted its second apology, stating that "Our teams, in close coordination with MOCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI, and airport operators, are working tirelessly to minimize the cascading impact of these delays and restore normal operations. We continue to keep passengers updated on any changes to their scheduled flights and strongly advise checking flight status before heading to the airport." They continued, "IndiGo deeply regrets the inconvenience caused and remains fully committed to stabilizing and streamlining operations as quickly as possible." 

How to Request a Refund for Cancelled or Delayed Flights with IndiGo? 

If you are also among those unfortunate individuals facing concerns related to IndiGo, consider requesting a refund for your cancelled or delayed flight. This falls under IndiGo's Plan B, which allows passengers to either reschedule or request a refund for any involuntary flight disruption. Whether you wish to get a refund or reschedule your flight, consider going through the pointers below:

• Requesting a Refund: Visit the airline's official website and navigate to the "Manage Booking/My Trip" section, or follow the same steps through the airline's official mobile application. Then you will have to enter your booking details and follow the further instructions. Refunds will be provided back to the source from which the payment was made. 
• Requesting a Reschedule: To reschedule a flight, consider using the self-service re-accommodation tool on the airline's official website or the reschedule link sent to your registered email address. However, rescheduling a flight would depend on the availability of the flight and the seat.