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A sudden IndiGo flight cancellation at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport has drawn national attention after video showed a distressed woman, reportedly traveling for her son’s medical needs, breaking down at the terminal and damaging airline and airport equipment worth tens of thousands of rupees.
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Technical Snag Grounds Bhubaneswar–Kolkata Service
According to publicly available flight information and media coverage, IndiGo flight 6E 7352 from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata on August 13, 2026, was cancelled after a technical issue was detected during mandatory pre-departure checks. The aircraft was preparing for its afternoon departure when the snag was identified, prompting the airline to hold boarding and eventually call off the service for safety reasons.
Reports indicate that around 50 to 60 passengers were affected by the cancellation, with some already in the boarding process and others waiting in the departure area. Coverage of the incident notes that the decision to cancel was taken as a precaution, in line with standard practice that requires airlines to keep aircraft on the ground when a fault could compromise safety.
Publicly available information from IndiGo’s statement on the episode says the carrier expressed regret for the disruption and claimed it provided regular updates, refreshments, hotel accommodation where required, alternate flight options, or refunds for affected travelers. The airline emphasized that passenger safety remained the primary consideration in calling off the flight.
Separate reporting on the wider Bhubaneswar–Kolkata operation for that date corroborates that the cancellation stemmed from a technical snag rather than weather or airport-operations constraints. The incident, however, quickly became less about the root cause of the disruption and more about how communication was handled and how one passenger reacted.
Passenger’s Outburst Caught on Video
Video clips shared widely on social media show a visibly distraught woman at the IndiGo counters in Bhubaneswar arguing with staff members, climbing onto or leaning over service areas, and hurling objects including what appears to be a keyboard. In the background, passengers can be heard referring to a sick child and urging staff to respond to the woman’s pleas.
Multiple news reports identify the passenger as Mamoni Kharat, who was booked on flight 6E 7352 to Kolkata. Coverage based on airport documents states that she allegedly damaged a computer monitor, keyboard, and a passport-scanning device during the altercation. The total value of the equipment has been estimated at about ₹49,000, according to published accounts citing the airport’s formal complaint.
Outlets summarizing the footage note that the confrontation unfolded after several hours of uncertainty about the flight’s status. Reports referencing the social media posts say passengers claimed they were left in the dark for roughly three hours, with boarding times repeatedly pushed back and the final cancellation message arriving only after extended waiting.
The clips, stitched together and reshared across platforms, show Central Industrial Security Force personnel stepping in to separate the woman from the counter area and instructing her to stop damaging property. The recording ends with the woman still in tears, surrounded by onlookers filming on their phones as the situation is brought under control.
Stranded Mother Cites Urgent Medical Need
Accounts circulating on social media and summarized by Indian news outlets state that the woman repeatedly told airport and airline personnel she needed to reach Kolkata urgently for her child’s treatment. In some videos, voices in the crowd echo that her son is unwell and that the journey is for medical reasons, not leisure travel.
Commentary in local-language coverage describes her as having “broken down” after realizing that the day’s flight would not operate, reportedly expressing fear about delaying the treatment. The travel distance between Bhubaneswar and Kolkata is relatively short by air but significantly longer by road or rail, which may have heightened her concern about losing critical time.
Reports also suggest she believed that clearer or earlier communication could have allowed her to explore other travel options, such as rebooking via another airline or shifting to an earlier departure from a nearby city. Instead, by the time the cancellation was confirmed, options for same-day connections were limited or unavailable, leaving her stranded at the terminal with her sick son.
While the precise nature of the child’s illness has not been independently detailed in public records, coverage consistently frames the woman’s distress around an urgent medical appointment that she feared missing because of the cancelled flight and uncertainty around alternative arrangements.
Airport Complaint and ‘Unruly Passenger’ Label
Following the incident, authorities at Biju Patnaik International Airport filed a formal complaint with the local police station, according to regional and national media that reviewed the document. The complaint reportedly lists the damaged items by type and approximate cost and requests that the value of the equipment be recovered from the passenger.
IndiGo, in its public response, characterized the traveler as an “unruly passenger,” stating that she had been handed over to security agencies in accordance with established procedures. The airline’s handling aligns with standard aviation practice in India, where damaging airport property or threatening staff can lead to police action and possible placement on internal watchlists.
Coverage of the complaint indicates that the alleged damage occurred in the presence of airline representatives, Central Industrial Security Force personnel, and staff from the Airports Authority of India. The documented timeline places the confrontation at around early evening on August 13, shortly after the official decision to cancel flight 6E 7352 was communicated in the departure area.
Legal experts commenting generally on such situations in existing analyses note that disruptive behavior at airports can attract a range of consequences under Indian law, from fines to potential criminal charges, depending on the extent of property damage and whether any physical harm or threats are involved. In this case, as of the latest coverage, reports focus on the property-damage allegation and the recovery of costs.
Public Debate on Airline Communication and Passenger Conduct
The Bhubaneswar episode has sparked a wide-ranging public debate in India about how airlines communicate during disruptions and what constitutes acceptable passenger behavior under stress. Social media reactions and opinion pieces are sharply divided between empathy for the woman’s situation and criticism of her actions.
Many commentators argue that while resorting to vandalism cannot be defended, the incident reflects growing frustration among travelers who feel they are often left without timely information or practical support when flights are delayed or cancelled. Some posts describe long waits without clear updates as a recurring pattern across carriers, urging stricter enforcement of communication standards and clearer rules on compensation.
Others stress that frontline airport and airline staff frequently bear the brunt of anger for operational decisions made elsewhere and that verbal abuse, intimidation, or physical damage should never be normalized. Several travel analysts and bloggers highlight that India, like many markets, has detailed civil aviation rules on passenger rights during cancellations, but that travelers may not be fully aware of what assistance and refunds they can request.
The IndiGo case has also revived discussion of the airline’s broader record on cancellations and scheduling reliability. Historical data and previous coverage have pointed to earlier periods of high disruption for the carrier during crew-scheduling challenges, prompting regulators to temporarily adjust rules. For many viewers, the Bhubaneswar video has become a flashpoint encapsulating tensions between cost-conscious carriers managing intense operational demands and passengers whose tolerance for uncertainty is wearing thin.
As the official complaint moves through the legal process, the incident continues to be cited in conversations about how India’s fast-growing aviation market needs clearer communication, more robust contingency planning, and greater awareness of both passenger rights and responsibilities when unexpected disruptions leave travelers stranded.
NDTV coverage of the Bhubaneswar IndiGo cancellation incident
NewsBytes report on flight cancellation and property damage