IndiGo passengers at several airports report significant delays
What's the story
IndiGo passengers were hit by major flight delays across several airports on Tuesday. The disruptions have left passengers stranded and sparked a social media outcry over poor communication and lack of assistance from the airline. According to live tracker Flightradar24, many flights were delayed by 30 to 90 minutes. This incident comes after over 100 passengers of a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo flight faced a delay of more than six hours on Sunday evening.
Passenger complaints
Passengers express frustration over delays and communication
Passengers have taken to social media to voice their frustration over the delays. One passenger at Delhi airport described the situation as "complete chaos," saying his 11pm flight to Bengaluru hadn't departed hours later. "Passengers are shouting, the ground staff is crying, no one has an answer," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Ongoing issues
Repeated delays and unresponsive customer service
Other passengers also reported repeated delays over the past week. One user said three of his four recent IndiGo flights were delayed by nearly two hours each. "They inform late even when Google predicts earlier the flight will be delayed It's always the same 'operational reasons,'" he posted. Some passengers complained that customer service was unreachable during these disruptions.
Airline response
IndiGo responds to complaints, cites operational reasons
In response to the complaints, IndiGo said it sincerely apologized for the delay due to operational reasons. The airline said its team was doing its best to get the aircraft airborne at the earliest and advised passengers to reach out to airport teams for real-time assistance. The delays come after a weekend of operational strain across multiple airlines due to mandatory software upgrades on A320 family aircraft.
Upgrade impact
Software upgrades contribute to extended turnaround times
The upgrades were necessitated by an advisory from Airbus and EASA regarding a potential flight-control issue linked to intense solar radiation. By Sunday, IndiGo, Air India, and Air India Express had upgraded over 90% of the 338 affected aircraft. However, these maintenance requirements led to extended turnaround times and some cancellations across the sector.