Ahmedabad, 6 December (H.S.): Amid the continuing disruption caused by IndiGo Airlines’ operational crisis, flight cancellations persisted across several airports on Saturday, with Ahmedabad witnessing the worst impact. Between midnight and noon, a total of 66 IndiGo flights were canceled, prompting outrage and protests led by the NSUI and Youth Congress at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

According to airport authorities, 59 flights — including 35 departures and 24 arrivals — were grounded in Ahmedabad alone, while six flights from Vadodara and one from Rajkot were also canceled. Most flights operating throughout the day were delayed by over 30 minutes on average, leaving passengers stranded in long queues and increasing frustration across terminals.

Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes at the airport, with distressed passengers waiting for updates and some breaking down emotionally. Many accused IndiGo of failing to provide accurate information or adequate assistance during the crisis.

NSUI’s Protest and Police ActionIn response, members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Youth Congress staged a protest at the airport, demanding accountability from IndiGo and the central government. NSUI activist Narayan Bharwad said, “We only came to distribute water bottles to stranded passengers — is even that not allowed? People have been waiting for hours. Earlier, the poor were made to stand in lines during demonetization, and now even the rich are queuing at airports.”

Police swiftly intervened and detained around 20–25 protesters before they could distribute the water bottles. The youth leaders strongly criticized IndiGo’s management and the government for their mishandling of the situation, calling it a reflection of “administrative apathy” and “corporate mismanagement at passengers’ expense.”

The chaos at Ahmedabad adds to the nationwide distress triggered by the airline’s widespread flight cancellations, which have left thousands of travelers stranded across major Indian airports for a third consecutive day.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar