Goa Airports Descend into chaos as IndiGo Cancels 57 Flights, Stranding Thousands
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A wave of flight cancellations by IndiGo left thousands of passengers stranded at Goa’s Dabolim and Manohar International Airports on Friday, triggering scenes of widespread disruption and frustration amid the airline’s ongoing operational challenges. The cancellations, impacting key domestic routes, have raised serious questions about passenger support and the stability of India’s largest domestic carrier.
Unprecedented Disruption at Goa’s Airports
According to airport sources,a total of 57 IndiGo flights where cancelled across the two Goan airports – 31 at Dabolim International Airport and 26 at Manohar International Airport,Mopa. Affected routes included major cities such as delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Indore, Jaipur, and Bhopal. Over 3,000 passengers were left stranded at Dabolim alone as cancellations continued throughout the day.
Passengers arriving for early morning departures were met with abrupt cancellation notices, leading to long queues at overwhelmed helpdesks and severely overcrowded counters, while trust in the airline’s promises of refunds and accommodation eroded.
Vulnerable Travelers Left Without Support
The situation was notably distressing for vulnerable travelers. A Bengaluru-bound passenger, Albert Pinto, described the scene as “overwhelming,” noting that “Helplines weren’t functioning, counters were overcrowded and no one knew whom to approach. Passengers were running between terminals trying to locate baggage or find accurate updates.” He highlighted the inadequate support provided to elderly travelers and those with medical needs.
Several international tourists were also caught in the disruption. “Foreign tourists looked completely lost. They didn’t know whom to approach for refunds or rebooking.Many had fixed tour plans and hotel bookings and were in a panic,” said vimal Kumar,a traveler from Bhopal. The crisis was further compounded by lost baggage, with some passengers arriving in Goa onyl to discover their luggage remained in other cities.
A wheelchair-bound passenger traveling to Bhopal for a scheduled surgery expressed her desperation, stating, “What will we do with the refund? I need to reach Bhopal for surgery… I have been sitting here with no assistance.” Another traveler with pancreatic complications said he felt “abandoned,” adding, “I had high expectations from IndiGo. This has never happened in four years of travelling.”
As anxiety and frustration intensified, authorities were forced to intervene. At certain counters, CRPF personnel were deployed to manage increasingly agitated crowds. Nilesh Shah, former president of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), described the situation as “unprecedented,” stating, “In three decades, I’ve never seen disruptions on this scale. my own flight from Goa to Mumbai was shifted from Dabolim to Mopa, then delayed repeatedly. We sat for hours inside the aircraft due to congestion in Mumbai. The situation is truly pathetic.”
A travel agent from Ahmedabad reported that online booking systems continued to display available seats despite the mass cancellations. “We are not getting any response on the ground. Passengers are being told refunds will be issued,but who will compensate for hotel,food and choice travel costs? Other airlines are not accommodating anyone,” the agent said.
IndiGo Apologizes, Warns of Continued Disruptions
IndiGo issued a public apology, acknowledging the severity of the disruptions. “we deeply apologise and understand how challenging the past few days have been. While this will not be resolved overnight, we are doing everything possible to restore operations,” the airline stated in a release.
However, industry insiders warn that disruptions may continue until IndiGo resolves its underlying staffing issues and scheduling backlogs. With the airline handling nearly 65% of India’s domestic traffic, the scale of the problem poses a meaningful challenge to the nation’s air travel network.
