Hyderabad: Twenty-eight Umrah pilgrims from Assam have been left stranded in Hyderabad after their IndiGo connecting flight to Guwahati was cancelled on Friday, December 5, adding to the widespread operational turmoil currently affecting the airline across India.
The passengers, most of them elderly, arrived from Jeddah on IndiGo flight 6E 68 and were scheduled to travel onward the same day.
Upon reaching Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), they were informed that their connecting service had been withdrawn. The group waited at the terminal for nearly five hours before being shifted to Hotel SM Deccan Park in Shamshabad, where accommodation was provided for only one night.
With no support offered beyond their initial stay, the pilgrims were left to arrange their own food and lodging until the airline issued fresh tickets for Monday, December 8, extending their wait in the city by another 48 hours. Several travellers have reported fatigue and health concerns due to the prolonged uncertainty.
In a post on X, Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan called attention to the situation, urging IndiGo, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and local authorities to intervene. He said that elderly pilgrims returning from Umrah should not be left without food, shelter or medical assistance, and appealed for immediate relief for the stranded group.
IndiGo faces major operational breakdown
The incident comes as IndiGo continues to experience severe operational disruption nationwide, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled in four days. Major airports including Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have faced significant schedule collapses, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
While IndiGo has attributed the difficulties to a mix of operational challenges, aviation experts point to the strict enforcement of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) as the key factor. The new rules mandate longer rest periods for crew and impose tighter restrictions on night operations, reducing pilot availability during the airline’s expanded winter schedule.
Delays over the weekend caused several flights to land past midnight, triggering additional cancellations under the updated duty-time framework. To help stabilise operations, the DGCA has since relaxed a strict FDTL clause, giving airlines limited flexibility in crew rostering.
