(MENAFN) India is currently experiencing major interruptions to domestic air travel as the country’s largest airline, IndiGo, halted all flights departing from the New Delhi airport until midnight on Friday, according to reports. While the airline suspended operations from the capital, flights operated by other carriers continued as scheduled. Authorities stated that airport teams were working closely with partners to mitigate the disruption and maintain passenger comfort.

In recent days, IndiGo has canceled hundreds of flights nationwide, affecting major cities including Mumbai and Hyderabad, leaving travelers frustrated and stranded. Social media and news reports highlighted long queues and passengers left waiting at airports. One official from Singapore remarked, “I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by IndiGo. My flight to (the eastern city of) Deoghar has been cancelled,” reflecting the widespread nature of the disruption.

The Indian Civil Aviation Ministry indicated that it had taken the flight interruptions “seriously” and convened a meeting chaired by the Civil Aviation Minister to discuss the issue. The airline explained that the cancellations were caused by challenges in crew scheduling, compliance with revised flight duty time regulations, and seasonal weather-related factors, as stated in reports.

IndiGo also confirmed that “teams are working diligently and making all efforts … to reduce the cascading impact of these delays and restore normalcy,” and it anticipates a complete resumption of services by February 2026.

The disruptions have also drawn political criticism, with opposition leaders holding the government accountable. One prominent figure declared, “IndiGo fiasco is the cost of this government’s monopoly model. Once again, it’s ordinary Indians who pay the price -- in delays, cancellations, and helplessness,” highlighting growing public frustration over ongoing flight cancellations.

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