Hundreds of passengers were left stranded across India as operations at four of the country’s busiest airports were hit by a wave of disruption, with 1,369 flights reportedly delayed and at least 10 cancelled across major hubs in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. The cascading impact stretched across multiple carriers, including Air India, IndiGo, Vistara and others, snarling travel plans for domestic and international flyers and highlighting the fragility of India’s rapidly expanding aviation network at the height of the winter travel season.
Major Hubs Brought to a Crawl
Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and Chennai International Airport together handle some of the densest flight schedules in India. On the day of the disruption, these hubs experienced a combination of long departure queues, aircraft held on the tarmac, and arrivals pushed back by hours as airlines and air traffic controllers struggled to reschedule operations.
At Delhi, which typically sees more than 1,500 flight movements a day, a mix of congestion, technical challenges and knock-on operational issues contributed to widespread delays. Similar scenes played out in Mumbai, where schedule buffers were stretched to breaking point as delayed aircraft and crew failed to arrive in time for onward sectors, creating a domino effect that rippled through the network.
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, already under pressure from recent large-scale IndiGo cancellations and delays, again saw its Terminal 1 crowded with weary passengers camped out on floors and in corridors as departure boards flashed “rescheduled” across much of the day’s schedule. In Chennai, queues snaked along check-in counters and security hold areas as passengers tried to rebook or secure information, with some flights cancelled outright and many others significantly delayed.
IndiGo Turbulence Spills Over to the Wider Network
India’s largest carrier by market share, IndiGo, has been at the center of recent operational upheavals, and the latest day of disruption again highlighted how vulnerable the wider system is when a single large airline falters. In the weeks leading up to the latest wave of delays, IndiGo had faced a sustained scheduling crisis triggered by new government rules on crew duty time limitations, leading to thousands of cancellations nationwide.
At Bengaluru, the airline has already cancelled hundreds of flights over several days, leaving terminals overcrowded and passengers stranded for up to 12 hours or more. Similar disruptions at Chennai left entire banks of IndiGo departures grounded for extended windows, with passengers only informed of cancellations after reaching the airport, forcing last-minute scrambles for alternative routes or accommodation.
Those systemic strains meant that when delays and fresh cancellations struck across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, IndiGo had limited operational slack to recover quickly. Aircraft and crew were often out of position, and the airline’s efforts to re-accommodate passengers onto later services were hampered by full loads, crew duty limits and congested evening departure banks at the country’s busiest hubs.
Air India, Vistara and Other Carriers Also Hit
While much attention focused on IndiGo, other Indian carriers were also swept up in the disruption. Air India, which is in the midst of a major fleet and network revamp, has been adjusting schedules to improve reliability and reduce last-minute cancellations. Even so, the pressure on shared airport infrastructure, from runway slots to gates and ground handling, meant its flights too suffered knock-on delays at key metros.
Vistara, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and smaller regional operators all reported delays as they navigated congested airspace and stretched ground resources. With many passengers attempting to switch from disrupted IndiGo services to other airlines, demand for last-minute seats surged, leading to steep fare spikes on trunk routes such as Delhi–Mumbai, Bengaluru–Delhi, and Chennai–Mumbai. In some cases, published last-minute economy fares briefly climbed to levels that would normally rival or exceed premium international tickets.
For international travelers connecting in Delhi and Mumbai, missed onward flights became a major headache. While some carriers attempted to hold departures to accommodate delayed feeder traffic, many connections were simply lost, forcing rebookings on later services and, for some, unexpected overnight stays at airport hotels or in crowded transit areas.
Technical Glitches, New Rules and Weather: A Perfect Storm
The immediate trigger for the tally of 1,369 delays and 10 cancellations varied by airport and carrier, but the underlying picture was of a system grappling with multiple stressors at once. At times in recent months, technical glitches in key air traffic control systems have slowed flight plan processing and forced controllers to revert to manual procedures, reducing capacity and driving up delays. At Delhi, for example, a malfunction in a core messaging system last November resulted in nearly 300 flights being delayed as air traffic controllers were forced into time-consuming workarounds.
Overlaying those challenges, new crew rostering and duty time rules introduced by India’s aviation regulator have demanded rapid adjustments from airlines. IndiGo in particular struggled to reconfigure its schedules and staffing quickly enough, leading to a wave of cancellations and delays across its national network in November and December. As these disruptions piled up, the regulator temporarily relaxed some norms and the airline adopted pre-planned cancellations to try to stabilize operations, but the recovery has remained fragile.
Seasonal weather has also played a role. Northern India’s winter fog and low visibility conditions routinely slow operations at Delhi and, to a lesser extent, at other north Indian airports. When combined with preexisting schedule tightness and limited spare capacity, even short weather disruptions can cascade into hours of delays. Passengers on the latest disrupted day reported aircraft waiting for take-off slots, holding patterns in the air, and diversions to other airports when visibility thresholds or capacity constraints were breached.
Passengers Face Sleepless Nights and Soaring Costs
For travelers caught in the middle, the statistics of 1,369 delays and 10 cancellations translated into lost holidays, missed weddings and business meetings, and long, uncertain waits. Social media posts from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai showed families sleeping on terminal floors, children curled up on luggage, and lines at airline counters stretching far beyond designated queuing zones.
Many passengers spoke of receiving late or conflicting information. In several instances, boarding times were repeatedly pushed back in small increments, only for flights to be rescheduled hours later or cancelled entirely. For international travelers with non-refundable hotel bookings and tours, the financial impact added to the stress. Domestic business travelers, too, reported arriving for morning meetings that had already been postponed or shifted online as colleagues were similarly stranded.
Fares on alternative flights surged as demand far outstripped supply. On key metro routes, remaining seats on rival carriers briefly jumped in price multiple times over their usual levels, placing them out of reach for many families. Some travelers opted for overnight trains or long-haul road journeys instead, trading time and comfort for certainty.
How Airports and Airlines Responded On the Ground
Airport authorities in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai moved to manage crowds and provide basic amenities, but capacity constraints were obvious. In Bengaluru and Chennai, police and Central Industrial Security Force personnel monitored crowds at check-in and boarding gates as tempers occasionally flared over long waits and perceived lack of transparency.
Some airlines distributed food and water vouchers, and in cases of long overnight delays offered accommodation to eligible passengers under their internal policies. Others issued travel waivers, allowing affected customers to change dates or routes without penalties where seats were available. However, many passengers complained that airline helplines and customer service desks were overwhelmed, with long holds on phone lines and limited staff on site to handle the surge in queries and rebooking requests.
Airlines also stepped up digital communication, pushing updates through apps, SMS and social media. IndiGo and other carriers repeatedly urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport. Even so, the speed at which operational conditions changed meant that information sometimes lagged reality, leaving some travelers en route or already at the terminal when cancellations were confirmed.
Regulatory Scrutiny and Calls for Structural Fixes
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have already launched probes into the recent waves of cancellations and delays, particularly around the IndiGo scheduling crisis. The regulators have demanded detailed explanations on crew shortages, rostering practices, and the planning behind large-scale pre-planned cancellations that left passengers with little time to adjust.
Policy responses have included temporary exemptions and phased implementation of stricter crew duty limits to ease immediate pressures, as well as fare caps on certain routes to prevent extreme price spikes during acute disruptions. However, aviation analysts argue that stopgap measures are not enough. They point to chronic issues such as tight turnaround times, limited spare aircraft and crew buffers, and capacity bottlenecks at major airports that leave the system highly vulnerable when something goes wrong.
There are growing calls for more robust passenger protection frameworks, including clearer compensation and care obligations in cases of large-scale disruption, and stricter requirements on airlines to notify customers of cancellations within defined windows. Consumer groups have also urged better contingency planning and transparent communication during crises, particularly at peak travel times.
What Travelers Can Do When Chaos Strikes
The latest episode is a reminder to travelers in and out of India’s major hubs that resilience and preparation are increasingly important in today’s crowded skies. Passengers are being advised to monitor flight status closely, especially during winter months or periods of known operational strain. Booking longer connection times, especially for international itineraries, can provide a buffer against delays.
Travelers may also benefit from understanding each airline’s disruption policies, including rebooking rules, meal and hotel vouchers, and eligibility for refunds in cases of cancellation. Purchasing travel insurance that explicitly covers delays, missed connections and trip curtailments can help soften the financial blow when plans go awry, particularly for expensive overseas journeys or non-refundable ground arrangements.
For now, India’s aviation industry continues to walk a tightrope between rapid growth and operational stability. As airlines work to rebuild schedules, hire and train additional crew, and adapt to new regulatory requirements, and as authorities look to modernize air traffic systems and expand airport infrastructure, the hope is that large-scale disruption on the scale of 1,369 delays and 10 cancellations in a single sweep will become far rarer. Until then, passengers flying through Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and beyond will need to pack not only their bags, but also an extra measure of patience.