(MENAFN- Live Mint) As many as 16,500 passengers in Delhi alone were affected by the 163 domestic IndiGo flights that were cancelled on Thursday, while 98 of 101 departures were delayed, Hindustan Times (HT) reported. Several of these passengers were reportedly left stranded for over 24 hours amid IndiGo's operational crisis.

HT report, citing a Delhi airport official, said that the average delay per flight was 160 minutes; the airline cancelled 77 arrivals and 86 departures, all domestic flights, due to crew-related issues.

The situation was made worse by the missing luggage at the airport - HT cited some passengers as saying that they had not recovered the baggage checked in three to four days earlier.

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During a visit to Indira Gandhi Airport's Terminal 1, HT reported that a crowd of anxious passengers gathered at the IndiGo ticket counters, seeking information about flight disruptions and lost luggage containing important documents, medicines, and valuables.

“My flight was scheduled to depart at 4 AM, Thursday, but it was cancelled. IndiGo informed me at 10 PM, Wednesday, that they could accommodate me on another flight at 5.55 AM,” 30-year-old Gaurav Verma, who had waited for over 24 hours at the airport, told HT.

He added that after boarding for his Pune flight began, the passengers waited inside shuttle buses for an hour.“When we finally boarded, we waited five more hours before being told the flight was cancelled,” he said, adding that he would have to wait for a flight on Friday morning.“I have no place to stay in Delhi so I will spend the night at the airport.”

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Several passengers witnessed a similar scene at Terminals 2 and 3, with many forced to spend thousands of rupees on last-minute alternative flights or hotel rooms.

Dhirender Shukla, a 45-year-old diabetic man, told HT that he had no access to his medicine as they were all packed in his checked-in luggage.“I have been waiting for hours now,” he said.

A US-return said her flight landed in Delhi early in the morning, but she had not found three checked suitcases hours later.“I'm supposed to leave for the US on Saturday. How will I do so without my luggage?” she asked.

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International passengers also reportedly faced similar difficulties. A 19-year-old Amsterdam local said he missed his brother's hockey tournament in Chennai due to delays.“We've been here since 1 AM trying to book another flight, but to no avail,” he said.

Particularly affected by the delays were those travelling for family emergencies, and urgent meetings. Similar scenes were witnessed at Bengaluru, Mumbai, Ranchi, and other key domestic airports.

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