IndiGo flight disruptions: Bride & groom forced to attend reception online; thousands stranded at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru: Severe disruptions in IndiGo Airlines services due to technical issues and a shortage of pilots have left thousands of passengers stranded at the Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, authorities said on Friday.

The chaos has resulted in missed weddings, funerals and religious travel, with passengers expressing frustration over lack of clarity and poor on-ground support.

In one such incident, a bride and groom travelling from Bhubaneswar to Hubballi were unable to attend their own reception after their IndiGo flight was abruptly cancelled.

With no alternative travel options, the couple joined the ceremony online while the bride’s parents occupied the seats reserved for the newlyweds and received greetings from guests.

The video of the wedding reception has gone viral on the social media.

The reception of bride Medha Kshir Sagar and groom Sangam Das was held on Wednesday at the Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi.

Apologising to their relatives for attending the event virtually, the bride said she had no choice after the unexpected flight cancellation.

Speaking to media, the bride’s father said, “Our daughter was supposed to come to Hubballi from Bhubaneswar. Her flight was cancelled and we had to conduct an online reception. We had organised the event here because the wedding was held on November 23. Their arrival got cancelled suddenly. With all arrangements in place and 700 guests invited, we had to think of alternate plans. About 650 people attended, and as advised by relatives, we sat on the bride and groom’s chairs.”

He added that the tickets had been booked two months in advance and the couple was set to reach Hubballi on December 2.

“We don’t know what has happened with the airline,” he said.

The disruptions affected many passengers with urgent travel needs.

A family heading to Indore for a wedding was stranded in Bengaluru along with the bridegroom, many passengers were unable to proceed after their luggage was routed to another flight and not returned.

Another passenger travelling for a funeral said his family was pleading for clarity on whether to proceed with the ceremony in his absence.

A foreign passenger arriving from Singapore for a connecting flight to Goa said that her luggage was not returned and there was no onward flight available. She described the experience as a nightmare.

A group of pilgrims from Hyderabad travelling to Sabarimala via Kochi were also stuck in Bengaluru.

The devotees expressed displeasure over the IndiGo Airlines not providing basic amenities such as drinking water and shower facilities.

They said the disruption had forced them to break several mandatory rituals while waiting indefinitely at the airport.

IndiGo, in a statement issued on Thursday morning, confirmed that 52 arriving flights and 50 departing flights had been cancelled from Bengaluru Airport.

A passenger advisory issued later by the air carrier said: “Passengers are requested to note that IndiGo flights from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru to Mumbai and Delhi stand cancelled until 23:59 hours on December 5. For IndiGo flights operating to other destinations, we recommend that passengers verify the latest flight status directly with the airline before leaving for the airport.”

“Our on-ground teams are actively coordinating with IndiGo and all operational partners to minimise inconvenience and support passengers through this disruption. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation,” the advisory added.

IANS