GURUGRAM- IndiGo Airlines (6E), India’s largest low-cost carrier, cancelled flights to and from cities like Srinagar (SXR), Jammu (IXJ), Amritsar (ATQ), Leh (IXL), Chandigarh (IXC), and Rajkot (RAJ) until at least May 15, 2025.
These cancellations, driven by security concerns, led to widespread passenger frustration, particularly over IndiGo’s refund practices.
Photo: Mumbai Planes | Siddh DhuriIndiGo Slammed Over Cancellation Charges
On May 7, 2025, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to a deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which killed 26 civilians.
The ensuing military tensions prompted the Indian government to impose temporary airspace restrictions, severely disrupting flight operations across northern and western India.
A notable case involved Anjush Bhatia, who booked a Chandigarh (IXC) to Mumbai (BOM) flight costing over Rs 10,000. When IndiGo (6E) cancelled the flight due to the conflict, Bhatia received only Rs 2,050, with Rs 8,111 deducted as cancellation charges and Rs 300 as service fees.
In a post on X on May 12, 2025, Bhatia called the deduction “blatant thuggery,” noting that other airlines, like Air India (AI), offered near-full refunds.
His post, accompanied by a screenshot of the refund breakdown, gained significant attention, amplifying scrutiny of IndiGo’s policies during force majeure events like geopolitical conflicts.
IndiGo initially responded by promising to investigate, but later clarified that the issue stemmed from a third-party booking platform. The airline stated that a full refund had been processed on their end, urging Bhatia to contact his travel agent.
This explanation, however, did little to quell public discontent, as other passengers reported similar experiences. For instance, Nilabhra Sengupta and Rashmeet Gandhi, in X posts on May 12, 2025, complained of deductions of Rs 20,000 and Rs 3,400, respectively, for cancelled flights to Chandigarh (IXC).
These incidents highlighted inconsistencies in IndiGo’s refund process, especially when bookings were made through intermediaries.
Photo: Clément AlloingSimilar Incident
Mohammad Alzafar Zia, an Indian-origin technology professional residing in Sweden, faced significant travel disruptions when attempting to journey from Ranchi to Copenhagen via New Delhi. The cascading effects of a flight delay resulted in substantial financial consequences and frustration.
Zia booked an IndiGo flight 6E 5062 from Ranchi (IXR) to Delhi (DEL) scheduled for 9:30 am with an anticipated arrival of 11:20 am. His connecting Air India flight to Copenhagen (CPH) was set to depart at 2:10 pm, allowing for what should have been a comfortable three-hour layover in Delhi.
The domestic IndiGo flight experienced a significant delay of one hour and fifty minutes, critically reducing Zia’s transfer time at Delhi airport. This delay directly caused him to miss his international connection to Copenhagen.
The missed flight resulted in financial losses totaling approximately Rs 50,000 for Zia. These expenses included rebooking a new flight, securing overnight accommodation in Delhi, and losing a day’s wages from work.
Zia sought assistance from both airlines after the incident. He characterized the IndiGo site manager at Delhi airport as “very rude” and unwilling to accept responsibility for the situation. Airport staff provided him with an email address to submit a formal complaint.
The response to his complaint left Zia dissatisfied, as he described it as “just a copy-paste excuse” that failed to address his specific concerns about the situation.
Following Zia’s viral LinkedIn post about the incident, IndiGo responded by attributing the delay to “air traffic congestion,” which they classified as a situation “beyond our control.” While the airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused, they did not offer compensation for the resulting expenses and disruption.
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