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Hyderabad: As IndiGo's nationwide operations remained severely disrupted due to large-scale delays and cancellations, passengers across multiple airports continued to face significant inconvenience on Thursday. Chaotic scenes were witnessed at Telangana’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad after significant delays in IndiGo flight movements, leading to long queues, confusion and distress among travellers.

According to airport officials, several IndiGo flights were delayed owing to operational issues, adding to congestion at the airport. Visuals from the terminal showed crowds building up as passengers sought updates on their flights.

Earlier, reports stated that as many as 33 outbound Indigo flights are expected to be cancelled from here on Thursday, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport sources said. Similarly, 35 incoming flights are also likely to be cancelled during the day, they said. Indigo cancelled 19 flights from Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Expressing shock over the delays, one passenger said total chaos was witnessed at Hyderabad airport where flights were delayed for more than 12 hours.

What's behind the IndiGo crisis

The primary cause of the airline’s disruption was a shortage of pilots and crew. The reimplementation of FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limit) norms and reduced crew availability led to flight cancellations and rescheduling, affecting IndiGo operations not only in Bengaluru but across the country.

Passengers expressed frustration with the airline's lack of clear communication. Some staged protests near airline counters, alleging they were not provided accurate departure information.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has rejected IndiGo's explanation on the crisis created in the aviation sector. The DGCA stated that the change in norms has been in the works for six months. The DGCA also stressed that crew management is solely the airline's responsibility. Rejecting the reasons cited by IndiGo for flight delays and cancellations, the airline watchdog sought a time-bound solution from IndiGo regarding the issue.