Passengers at Delhi airport became unruly on Saturday when their IndiGo flight to Purnea faced delays, sparking frustration among travelers who had already experienced disruptions the day before. The flight, numbered 6E 9076, was scheduled to depart from Delhi to Purnea but was delayed on Saturday after being canceled on Friday, leading passengers to reschedule their travel plans. This repeated disruption resulted in angry confrontations at the boarding gate, with passengers expressing their displeasure over the delayed departure.
Several passengers mentioned that the same flight had been canceled on Friday as well, prompting them to make alternative arrangements for their journeys. According to the passengers, the airline attributed the delay on Saturday to bad weather conditions. Some travelers also claimed that the airline staff later informed them that the flight could not proceed due to the unavailability of a pilot. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, IndiGo had issued warnings to passengers about potential flight delays and cancellations due to reduced visibility and fog at various airports.
The incident occurred shortly after IndiGo had to cancel 118 flights across its network on December 29, 2024, due to a combination of adverse weather and operational issues. Out of these cancellations, six flights were called off due to operational constraints, while the rest were affected by unfavorable weather conditions at different airports. IndiGo has been facing significant disruptions over the past month, starting from early December when the airline had to cancel thousands of flights, including around 1,600 in a single day, following stricter flight duty and rest period regulations for pilots mandated by the court.
Since the onset of the fog season on December 10, IndiGo has continued to cancel a substantial number of flights. On December 25, the airline canceled 67 flights to various destinations due to weather-related challenges. Just on Saturday, 57 flights from multiple airports were canceled because of poor weather conditions. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has officially declared the period from December 10 to February 10 as the fog window for the winter season, a time when flight operations are frequently impacted by low visibility.
