New Delhi: Around 400 passengers, scheduled to fly from New Delhi to Mumbai and Turkey, have reportedly been stranded at Istanbul airport for over 24 hours due to a delayed flight. In a response to one of the passengers, IndiGo said that the delay was caused by operational reasons. However, many passengers took to social media platforms like X and LinkedIn to share their experiences, claiming the flight was first delayed and then cancelled without prior notice.
One passenger, Anushri Bhansali, mentioned that the flight was delayed twice by an hour, eventually cancelled, and rescheduled 12 hours later, leaving the travelers stranded. She also complained of exhaustion and fever, noting that no accommodation, meal vouchers, or assistance from an IndiGo representative was offered at the airport. Another passenger, Rohan Raja, said that after the 6.40 am flight from Delhi was cancelled, passengers were left to endure the chilly weather, as no transportation was provided to the accommodations they were reportedly offered.
Flight delay causes confusion
Parshwa Mehta, scheduled to travel to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, shared that the original 8:15 pm flight was delayed to 11 pm and later pushed to 10 am the following day. Further confusion arose as there were no announcements from IndiGo, and passengers received updates from the Turkish Airlines crew instead.
In a post on X, he wrote, “We were told we’d get lounge access at Istanbul airport as compensation. But the lounge was far too small to accommodate the huge number of stranded passengers. Many of us were left standing for hours without proper facilities. No alternative flights were offered, no proper communication was made, and to top it all off-no plans for reparations were shared.”
We were told we’d get lounge access at Istanbul airport as compensation. But the lounge was far too small to accommodate the huge number of stranded passengers. Many of us were left standing for hours without proper facilities. Seriously, @IndiGo6E?
— Parshwa Mehta (@parshwa_1995) December 12, 2024
IndiGo slammed for poor service
Mehta criticised the airline for its “blatant failure of basic customer service” and stated that all passengers deserve an apology and appropriate compensation. In the AirHelp Score report for 2024, IndiGo was ranked among the world’s least performing airlines, securing 103rd place out of 109 airlines analyzed. Air India was ranked 61st, while AirAsia took the 94th spot.
