Over 400 IndiGo flights cancelled on 5th day of crisis; Railways steps in
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New Delhi: IndiGo cancelled 405 domestic flights on Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive day of disruption as the airline’s ongoing operational crisis continues. Indian Railways has stepped in to support stranded passengers by adding extra coaches and introducing special trains to manage the surge in demand.
With a daily operation of around 2,300 flights and a fleet of over 400 aircraft, IndiGo’s punctuality has significantly declined due to operational issues, primarily stemming from an unexpected shortage of pilots caused by planning shortcomings. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, which is expected to persist for several more days.
Airports nationwide have witnessed scenes of disarray as passengers expressed frustration over repeated delays and cancellations.
To address the surge in passenger demand, Indian Railways has deployed 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains, covering 114 enhanced trips nationwide. Southern Railway recorded the highest number of augmentations, adding capacity to 18 trains. The ministry stated, “Additional Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches have been deployed on high-demand routes. These augmentations, effective from December 6 onward, substantially expand accommodation capacity in the southern region.”
Northern Railway has strengthened eight trains with 3AC and Chair Car coaches, enhancing availability on heavily travelled northern corridors. Western Railway added 3AC and 2AC coaches to four high-demand trains, facilitating travel from western states to the national capital. East Central Railway increased capacity on the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi (12309) service by adding 2AC coaches over five trips from December 6 to 10, improving connectivity on the Bihar–Delhi route. East Coast Railway also augmented Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services (20817/20811/20823) with 2AC coaches across five trips, boosting travel options between Odisha and the capital.
The Indian Railway Board’s Executive Director of Information and Publicity, Dilip Kumar, said, “Considering the rush of passengers, Indian Railways has added extra coaches to several trains and plans to operate multiple special trains. So far, 116 extra coaches are planned across 37 trains, with work underway accordingly.”
Four special trains have been introduced to further assist travellers: Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur Special (05591/05592): four trips from December 7 to 9; New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi Reserved Vande Bharat Special (02439/02440): December 6, connecting Jammu region; New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special (04002/04001): December 6–7, serving western sector demand; and Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special (04080): one-way service on December 6 for southern connectivity.
These measures aim to mitigate the impact of IndiGo’s flight disruptions and ensure passengers have alternative travel options.
With IANS inputs