Passengers protest at Delhi airport after IndiGo cancels flight
A group of passengers at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, on Wednesday, raised slogans against IndiGo Airlines to protest the cancellation of their flight, reports said. In a video shared by ANI, a crowd could be seen chanting "band karo, band karo" after their flight from Delhi to Jharkhand's Deoghar was canceled. According to Flightradar24 data, over 10 flights were canceled and over 50 were delayed at the Delhi airport due to poor visibility amid dense fog on Wednesday.
Why does this story matter?
Earlier in January, dense fog in Delhi and parts of North India led to severe disruptions in train and flight services. The significant delays and alleged mismanagement by the airport authorities and airlines exacerbated the passenger woes. This prompted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue standard operation procedures for airlines.
Watch: Passengers stage protest at Delhi airport
IndiGo issues advisory on flight operations
Earlier in the day, IndiGo issued an advisory cautioning passengers about potential disruptions to flight operations in Delhi, Srinagar, and Chandigarh due to adverse weather conditions. The airline advised passengers to check their flight status before traveling to the airport. After the chaos at Delhi airport, IndiGo released another statement, saying that the flight was canceled "due to factors beyond the airline's control." The passengers, however, continued their protest, even calling the airlines a "thief."
IndiGo fined Rs.1.2 crore for violations
Earlier this month, IndiGo was fined Rs. 1.2 crore for five violations. This included the incident in which passengers were forced to sit on the tarmac while waiting for their flight to depart. The airlines and Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where the incident took place, had received show-cause notices from the government. The DGCA imposed fines on Air India and SpiceJet as well for inadequate preparedness for the fog and resulting flight delays.
