Ahmedabad, Dec 6 (PTI) As many as 35 flights of IndiGo scheduled for departure from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad were cancelled on Saturday, escalating the woes of stranded
passengers hit by the double whammy of travel uncertainty and alleged lack of basic facilities.
Similar scenes were witnessed at the Vadodara airport, where three flights scheduled for departure were cancelled by IndiGo Airlines, which has been struggling to restore flight operations that had been in disarray for the last five days.
In a partial relief for passengers travelling from the Rajkot airport, only one IndiGo flight -- for Mumbai -- was cancelled, while seven flights for Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and Bengaluru operated, officials said.
An Ahmedabad Airport official stated that a total of 72 6E flights of IndiGo Airlines, scheduled for arrival and departure between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm, were cancelled on Saturday, including 35 departure and 37 arrival flights.
Six flights, including three arrivals and as many departures, were cancelled from Vadodara, the airport said in a media note.
A flight to Mumbai was running late, it said.
Like other airports, long queues of anxious passengers were seen at the IndiGo Airlines’ counter at Ahmedabad airport, seeking information on the flight status. The Airlines has set up a special help-cum-refund desk to address the concerns of passengers, some stuck at the airport for three days.
Enraged passengers complained that they were not being given a proper answer to their queries.
Western Railway, meanwhile, informed that it will operate special trains between Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and Delhi and Delhi Sarai Rohilla railway stations for six trips for the convenience of passengers.
Meanwhile, over a dozen NSUI activists carrying water bottles for passengers tried to stage a demonstration outside the Ahmedabad Airport. They were detained by the police, an official added.
Some passengers who landed at the Ahmedabad Airport for connecting flights to other destinations were also left stuck as services were cancelled at the last moment. They demanded special arrangements from the airlines.
"I have been stranded here for the last three days. My first flight to Mumbai was scheduled for December 4, which has been cancelled twice so far. I rescheduled the flight for today. However, after I reached the airport at 11:50 AM, I received a message from the airlines informing me that the flight had been rescheduled," a passenger said.
With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure that the baggage separated from the travellers is delivered in the next two days. PTI KA PD NSK
