On Thursday alone, IndiGo crisis led to the cancellation of 10 flights to and from Patna. Four of these flights were on the busy Delhi–Patna sector. Many passengers traveling abroad via Delhi reported serious difficulties.

To handle the situation, Airports Authority of India General Manager Bhudev Sarkar visited Patna Airport on Thursday. He arrived on orders from the Civil Aviation Ministry to review the ongoing issues. Officials said flight operations have shown steady improvement over the last two to three days.

Authorities assured passengers that normal operations are expected to resume fully by December 16. Airport and IndiGo officials were directed to assist passengers and reduce inconvenience. The General Manager also interacted directly with affected travelers.

Meanwhile, the IndiGo crisis has reached the Delhi High Court. The court questioned the government and airlines over sudden fare hikes during disruptions. Senior JDU leader KC Tyagi also raised concerns, citing extreme ticket price differences faced by his family.

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IndiGo faced massive operational trouble in November and December. Over 900 flights were cancelled in November alone. The disruption continued with 1,600 cancellations on December 6 and 850 more on December 7. Passengers said they had never seen airline failures on such a scale. Many questioned the regulatory oversight and demanded accountability.

The crisis emerged at a time when railway services already disappointed citizens. Frequent delays, poor hygiene and the Balasore train tragedy eroded trust in rail travel. Disappointed middle-class travellers shifted to airlines for safer and faster journeys. This shift helped IndiGo expand and capture nearly 60% of India’s aviation market.

Issues grew further as pilots faced extended duty hours without proper rest. Airlines accepted bookings despite capacity limits and failed to inform passengers early about cancellations. Critics argued that privatisation alone cannot improve public services. The IndiGo crisis reminded the public that strong regulation and pro-people policies remain essential for stable transport systems.

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Mohammad Hasnain Ali, who works in Saudi Arabia, said he had no updates about his Patna–Delhi flight. He travelled from Siwan in fear because his visa was about to expire. If he missed the flight, he could lose his job. Many passengers faced similar stress.

The airline began the refund process for flights cancelled between December 5 and 15. Officials assured that refunds would be completed soon.

Passengers complained that the counter staff gave wrong or incomplete information. Sarfaraz Alam booked a Dubai-bound ticket but received incorrect details about his timing. Another passenger, Mohammad Mushtaq, said he was told different things about his Lucknow flight.

Airport Director CP Dwivedi said extra steps were taken to support passengers. A special control room, additional staff, and more chairs were arranged. Food, water, and washroom maintenance teams worked through the day.

Patna Airport also shared updates through its official X handle and a 24/7 helpline.

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Flights to Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata were cancelled or delayed for half an hour. Hundreds of passengers waited the whole day, hoping for updates. Some missed job interviews, while others struggled to reach their destinations for family events.

Saket Kumar from Muzaffarpur spent thousands of rupees to attend an interview in Bengaluru. After reaching Patna Airport, he learned that his flight was cancelled. He said he may lose the opportunity. Another passenger, Pankaj Kumar, came from Kolkata for a wedding but got stuck for several days because no flights were available.

IndiGo will cancel five more flights today. Airline officials said operations may return to normal by December 15.

More problems surfaced when Pooja Sinha’s flight to Patna was diverted to Ranchi. She travelled to Patna by road with her one-month-old baby, only to find her luggage missing.

Many passengers looked stressed and frustrated as the situation worsened.

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He alleged that the Centre destroyed public-sector aviation and pushed the country into a vulnerable position. Narayana said only government control can solve the present crisis. He accused Indigo of blackmailing both the public and the government for financial gain. He added that the airline is exploiting passengers at a difficult time.

The crisis has continued for four days, and passengers across the country are facing confusion. People who booked Indigo tickets are waiting inside airports with no clarity. Many travellers expressed frustration as flights were cancelled at the last minute.

Several passengers confronted Indigo staff at various airports due to long delays. The airline is trying to stabilize operations, but normalcy has not returned. The situation created widespread inconvenience, especially for travellers with emergency schedules.

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Domestic ticket prices have jumped to shocking levels. The Patna–New Delhi fare even became higher than the Delhi–London fare. On Sunday, the Patna–Delhi fare on SpiceJet touched ₹41,380, while the Delhi–London fare on Air India was only ₹26,351. By Friday, the Patna–Delhi fare crossed ₹30,000.

Cancellations pushed passengers toward other airlines. Fares on Air India and SpiceJet became four to five times higher than usual. Tickets from Darbhanga to Delhi and Mumbai touched between ₹37,000 and ₹44,000. Routes like Patna–Mumbai, Patna–Bengaluru, and Patna–Chennai also saw huge jumps, with some fares crossing ₹50,000.

DGCA later withdrew its order on weekly holidays after airlines reported severe disruptions. In four days, cancellations crossed 1,900 flights nationwide.

Bihar faced 22 cancellations on Friday alone. Patna airport had the maximum impact with 12 cancelled flights. Long queues formed at the IndiGo counter as passengers demanded new tickets and fresh travel dates. Many expressed anger over the chaos.

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At Patna airport alone, 10 flights were cancelled and 12 were delayed. One flight each from Gaya and Darbhanga and two flights from Purnia were also cancelled. Many passengers complained that they felt helpless after receiving no clear information from the airline. Long queues formed at the helpdesk as travellers searched for answers.

Several passengers had to switch to train travel at the last minute. A passenger from Patna said his Delhi-bound flight was cancelled even after booking early, forcing him to buy a general train ticket. Security teams stepped in to calm the crowd as frustration grew.

In Gaya, the situation became worse when a Delhi flight was cancelled after boarding passes were issued. Passengers from Vietnam and India waited for hours, only to learn the flight would not operate. Many missed their connecting flights to Mumbai, turning their journey into a stressful experience.

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