Newlyweds Attend Virtual Reception as IndiGo Flights Cancel Across India

This week, IndiGo has encountered significant flight disruptions across India, stranding countless passengers and creating unforeseen hurdles for travelers. Among those impacted are newlyweds Medha Kshirsagar from Hubballi and Sangama Das from Bhubaneswar, who had to join their wedding reception virtually following the cancellation of their flights.

The couple, both software engineers based in Bengaluru, were wed on November 23 in Bhubaneswar, with their reception planned for December 3 at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi. However, ongoing pilot shortages led to widespread flight cancellations, preventing them from reaching Hubballi on schedule.

After booking flights from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru and then on to Hubballi, their travel faced multiple delays beginning at 9 AM on December 2, culminating in a flight cancellation on December 3. Family members using the Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Hubballi route experienced similar issues.

With guests already present and arrangements in full swing, the bride's parents took their places at the reception to ensure customary rituals were upheld. Meanwhile, Medha and Sangama, dressed for the celebration in Bhubaneswar, connected via video call, making their presence felt despite being physically absent. The bride’s mother remarked, “The wedding was set for December 3, but our flight was cancelled at 4 AM. We couldn’t cancel the event last minute, so we arranged for them to participate virtually.”

IndiGo, India's leading airline, has cancelled hundreds of flights this week due to difficulties in aligning crew rosters with new government Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). The airline, which operates around 2,200 flights per day, disclosed that over 500 flights were cancelled just on Thursday, marking the industry's most significant single-day disruption in its two-decade history.

Airports in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai faced substantial impacts. IndiGo has informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it anticipates a return to normal operations by February 10, 2026, while simultaneously seeking temporary relieves from flight duty regulations. The company also cautioned that flight cancellations would persist until December 8, expecting service reductions starting that date.

Passengers are grappling with various inconveniences as the ongoing disruptions underline planning deficiencies and challenges associated with new regulatory norms. IndiGo has acknowledged the errors in rolling out the second phase of FDTL rules, stressing that these disruptions are temporary, and operations will normalize soon.