MUMBAI: Severe disruption continued across India’s airports on Saturday as widespread IndiGo flight cancellations left thousands stranded, prompting scenes of frustration, tears and protests at terminals in multiple cities. At Mumbai Airport, a foreign passenger was seen climbing atop an IndiGo counter, demanding answers after her flight was cancelled without clarity on alternatives.

Video from the terminal showed her insisting on food and basic assistance, while ground staff attempted to calm her and urged her to step down. Meanwhile, Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport witnessed hours of turmoil through the early morning. Between midnight and 6am, seven arrivals and twelve departures were cancelled, airport officials said, leaving crowds of passengers waiting in long queues with little information. The disruptions come despite the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), putting its recent Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) order “in abeyance with immediate effect”. The pause follows days of escalating delays and cancellations that have affected IndiGo’s operations nationwide. Among those stranded in Ahmedabad was Mahrishi Jani, who broke down while recounting how the cancellations derailed key plans for him and his team. “I was scheduled to go to Guwahati on a 6.15am flight—this was a connecting flight from Kolkata,” he told ANI. “We were selected for Smart India Hackathon 2025. Around 74,000 ideas were submitted, and nearly 1,400 were chosen. Our centre was North-Eastern Hill University. We were supposed to present there.” Across terminals, frustrated travellers struggled to find alternate options as queues lengthened and help desks were overwhelmed. IndiGo has faced mounting pressure after several days of operational disruptions. The airline has issued public apologies and assured passengers that refunds for cancelled flights are being processed.