Mumbai: Over 100 IndiGo Flyers Stranded As Flight Delayed For 16 Hours

Passengers on IndiGo flight 6E17, travelling from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a significant delay at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Initially set to depart at 6:55 am on Saturday, the flight was rescheduled to leave at 11 pm. A technical issue with the aircraft left over 100 passengers stranded for more than 16 hours.

Frustrated passengers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction. They complained about being kept onboard without updates and lacking basic amenities like food and water. Some reported receiving drinking water only after 13 hours of waiting. The airline eventually informed them that the flight was cancelled.

Passenger Complaints and Airline Response

One passenger, Suryawanshi, noted that the air conditioning was turned off during the delay, worsening their discomfort. Additionally, passengers were repeatedly asked to change queues without clear communication. Another passenger, Sachin Chintalwad, expressed concern about missing a connecting flight to Washington due to the delay.

Sonam Saigal tweeted about her brother's ordeal at Mumbai International Airport. She criticised IndiGo's staff for their unprofessional behaviour and lack of information regarding rescheduling or refunds. Her brother experienced multiple boarding and deboarding instances before being informed of the final departure time.

IndiGo issued an apology for the inconvenience caused by the delay. "We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues," stated the airline. They assured customers that safety and comfort remain top priorities and arranged an alternate aircraft for departure at 11 pm.

IndiGo's Reputation Under Scrutiny

The incident comes after IndiGo was ranked among the world's worst airlines in 2024 by AirHelp Score Report. The domestic carrier was placed near the bottom at 103rd out of 109 airlines analysed. However, IndiGo questioned the survey's credibility due to its lack of data from India and unclear methodology.

Despite this ranking, IndiGo claims it consistently scores high on punctuality and maintains a low customer complaint ratio for an airline of its size. The airline emphasised its commitment to addressing customer grievances effectively.

A passenger highlighted that around 500 travellers were affected by continuous delays and eventual cancellation without any food or water provided. There was no representative from IndiGo available to address their concerns during this period.