Boarding passes to nowhere: 59 Goa flights nixed

Panaji: The operational turmoil within IndiGo continued to disrupt air travel on Friday, with the country’s largest airline cancelling 59 flights at Goa’s two airports. The cancellations were a devastating proportion of the state’s modest daily flight capacity but nothing compared to the thousands of flights that the private carrier suspended due to the crisis.

Goa International Aiport, Dabolim and Manohar International Airport at Mopa, turned into hubs of human distress as sportspersons, singers, expecting mothers, patients, tourists, and businessmen found themselves clutching boarding passes to nowhere.

Lina Vincent, a curator and art historian from Salvador do Mundo, found herself stranded in Delhi after her Delhi to Goa flight was cancelled, and her attempt to book another flight came to naught despite her money being debited.


“It was an ordeal with flight cancellations and delays. The IndiGo flight from Bombay to Delhi, originally at 4pm on Dec 3, was repeatedly delayed and eventually departed at 10pm, arriving in Delhi around midnight. No refreshments were offered during the delay by the airline to any of the passengers. The next day, the flight from Delhi to Goa was cancelled, leaving everyone stranded in Delhi. After attempting to book an another flight on another airline through an online travel portal for over Rs 21,000, the payment failed due to an error, and the portal blamed the airline for the issue,” Vincent said.

She was left frustrated because flights with other airlines were priced at over Rs 45,000. Lina is now scheduled to fly to Goa on Sunday, forcing her to extend her hotel stay in Delhi.

Aaron Carvalho, an Aldona resident, succeeded in flying down from Mumbai but not before spending more than five anxious hours at the airport wondering if he would get home to his three toddlers. “My flight finally took off at 1am on Friday, and I finally reached home at 3am. It was supposed to be at 7.20pm. But at least it took off, so I was luckier than most. Very sad for people who waited all day and had no other option. The IndiGo staff were not even coming to the gates without protection from CISF because they were getting manhandled. For our flight, even though the pilots and crew reached the boarding gate, they had to wait another two hours for the ground staff to show up to check the boarding passes. Insane situation,” he said.

The stress on IndiGo’s operations spilled over onto the broader aviation sector, with other airlines also reporting delays and causing fares to be prohibitively expensive. “Unfortunately, I was caught in all the IndiGo crossfire, so I had to cancel my trip to Jaisalmer for a bachelorette party. I’m very bummed out, but it is what it is. I tried booking other flights, but the tickets were coming to Rs 35,000 one way,” said Gandhi, a young woman who was scheduled to fly from Goa.

To meet the demand from stranded passengers, Goa-based airline FLY91 introduced extra flights between Hyderabad and Goa for the next three days to help travellers reach their destinations. Hyderabad serves as an important metro and regional access hub.

“We understand how difficult this period has been for travellers. By operating these extra services, we are helping in our own way to ensure that people can continue their journeys with confidence. Our focus is on being there for passengers when they need options the most,” said Manoj Chacko, managing director and chief executive officer at FLY91.



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