Srinagar, Dec 6 : The flight disruptions hit Srinagar Airport on Saturday as IndiGo continued to grapple with nationwide operational turbulence, forcing mass cancellations and delays that left hundreds of passengers stranded through the day.
The airport authorities had logged 64 scheduled movements, including 36 by IndiGo. Of these, 14 IndiGo flights with seven arrivals and seven departures were cancelled, in addition to four cancellations by another carrier (SpiceJet). The airline also reported 10 delayed movements.
A senior airport official told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that the terminal had shifted to contingency mode early in the afternoon as cancellations mounted.
“As of 7:15 pm, we have recorded 14 cancellations and 10 delays by IndiGo alone. We have activated the full passenger-support protocol, additional seating, food and beverage counters, tea and coffee service, Wi-Fi, medical facilities and continuous FID updates to manage the situation,” the official said.
Only four flights were left to operate for the day, and authorities said the latest schedules were being reviewed “minute by minute”.
The disruptions come against the backdrop of IndiGo’s ongoing nationwide crisis triggered by crew shortages and the airline’s struggle to recalibrate rosters under the latest Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms.
The new fatigue-management rules, introduced to enhance flight safety, have forced a sweeping reorganisation of crew schedules, disproportionately affecting carriers with dense short-haul rotations.
At Srinagar Airport, long queues, frayed tempers and repeated gate changes were visible for much of the day. Many passengers, students, elderly travellers and families waited for hours as new cancellation updates appeared on display boards.
Airport staff were deployed across counters to assist with rebooking, issue refreshments and provide medical support where needed. Officials said they were coordinating with airlines “to ensure basic comfort and reliable information flow”.(KNS).
