Massive flight disruption at Chennai Airport sparks passenger fury

CHENNAI: Early morning chaos erupted at Chennai International Airport as a severe shortage of pilots and cabin crew forced the cancellation or delay of 62 flights over an eight-hour period, stranding thousands of passengers and leading to angry protests.

The disruption, from 00:01 am to 8:00 am today, marks the fourth consecutive day of major operational issues for IndiGo Airlines at the airport, mirroring nationwide problems the carrier has faced recently.

The Scale of Disruption

Of the 62 affected services,a staggering 40 flights were cancelled outright. This included 26 departures and 14 arrivals. Additionally, 22 flights were significantly delayed—10 departures and 12 arrivals—with waiting times ranging from two to six hours.

The impacted flights covered a wide network, including international destinations like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Bangkok, and Indonesia, as well as key domestic cities such as Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Trichy, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Patna.

Passengers expressed extreme frustration over a complete lack of prior communication from the airlines.No formal announcements were made regarding cancellations or delays, leaving travelers in the dark about the status of their flights. Even when inquiries were made directly to airline staff, clear information was not provided.

The situation was exacerbated by the airport's own website, which reportedly listed flight statuses simply as "On Time" (annon) without any updates on cancellations or revised schedules, adding to the confusion and distress.

Passenger Protest Erupts

The simmering anger boiled over when hundreds of stranded passengers surrounded airline counters in the departure hall,staging a sit-in protest and bringing operations in the area to a standstill. The protest created high tension within the terminal.

Airport security and police personnel rushed to the scene to pacify the agitated crowd. During the confrontation, passengers demanded clear, real-time information. "Tell us clearly which flights are cancelled or delayed. Stop putting 'On Time' on the website and specify if it's cancelled or delayed," protesters were heard demanding.

Officials assured the passengers that they would speak with the concerned airlines and take necessary action, eventually managing to calm the situation.

This incident has highlighted growing passenger discontent with communication protocols at the airport.Travelers have accused airport and airline authorities of being indifferent to their plight and failing to provide adequate responses to legitimate queries.