Kolkata: Will winter holiday plans go off the rails: That seems to be the question on top of the mind of flyers booked on IndiGo as the airline's unprecedented operational meltdown continues to ripple through the country's busiest routes.
The chaos, which crippled flight schedules across the country this week, is feared to spill into coming weeks — including the peak Christmas travel period — with IndiGo informing DGCA that it will scale down operations from next week and expects "normalised and stable" schedules only around Feb 10, 2026.
This warning from IndiGo has apparently triggered fresh anxiety among thousands of passengers, who have booked their holiday flights with the airline. "Six of us are booked on a flight to Bengaluru on Wednesday. With the way things are going, I'm honestly worried whether it will take off or not," said Soumya Mukherjee, who planned a seven-day trip to Bengaluru, Mysore and Hampi. "If they cancel it now, I can't afford tickets at three times the normal fare and still manage the rest of the trip." "I'm checking my PNR twice a day," said Soumik Dutta, scheduled to fly to Jaipur next weekend.
IndiGo on Friday issued a fresh statement, announcing a full waiver on all cancellation and rescheduling charges for travel between Dec 5 and Dec 15, an offer that has only deepened apprehension that the disruptions may not end any time soon. "Does this mean delays and cancellations will continue till Dec15?" said Tollygunge resident Sreetama Dasgupta. "We have a family trip to Manali next Friday and our flight tickets are booked to Delhi. No trains are available, while fares on other airlines are sky-high," she said.
Airfares for Christmas week have already surged, with travel portals recording 25%-40% hikes on several metro and holiday routes. Travel agents say prices may spiral further once IndiGo publishes its revised winter schedule.
Travellers, who bore the brunt of this week's meltdown, say they are now preparing for the worst. Singer Kanchanmoy Bhattacharya, who was supposed to fly to Patna on Friday morning to judge a reality show in Sonepur, saw his flight being cancelled moments before boarding. "It took me an hour and a half to retrieve my luggage. The ground staff were clueless. I missed my show," he said. "I have another IndiGo flight on Sunday for the same show, with Anuradha Paudwal. I don't know if that one will take off."