IndiGo Flight To Istanbul Delayed By 16 Hours At Mumbai Airport, Airline Apologises

Mumbai: Over 100 IndiGo passengers were allegedly stranded at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, after a technical glitch in an IndiGo aircraft delayed the flight to Istanbul for more than 16 hours. The IndiGo flight 6E17, which was to depart from the Mumbai airport to Istanbul at 6.55 am on Saturday, was rescheduled to take off at 11 pm. The delay in the flight left passengers frustrated, prompting them to argue and shout at the airline’s staff members at the airport, creating a chaotic situation.

According to the reports, the IndiGo flight 6E17 was initially scheduled to depart at 6.55 am but was rescheduled to take off at 11 pm. Passengers took to social media to express their anger and disappointment, alleging that they were kept onboard the aircraft for several hours without any updates.

IndiGo Arranged Alternate Flight For Passengers

Not only this, one of the passengers claimed to have received drinking water only 13 hours after the flight was delayed. It is being said that IndiGo staff later informed passengers that the flight had been cancelled, only to reschedule it again for a late-night departure.

Passengers complained of being made to board and deboard the aircraft multiple times, with some reporting that the air conditioning system was turned off during the delay, adding to their discomfort. Others alleged that they were made to change queues multiple times without clear communication from the airline staff.

Meanwhile, IndiGo Airlines has issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to the passengers, stating that the delay was due to technical issues. Further, the airline stated that apart from providing food, accommodations and a full refund, the management also claimed to arrange an alternate aircraft, which was scheduled to depart at 11 pm.

Following the incident, the IndiGo management issued a statement citing, “We regret that our flight 6E17, originally scheduled to operate from Mumbai to Istanbul, faced a delay due to technical issues. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to rectify the issue and dispatch it to the destination, we eventually had to cancel the flight.”

“While our teams are working hard to provide support to our affected customers, by keeping them informed, and arranging welfare measures such as accommodation, meal vouchers, and full refunds, we know that no amount of effort can fully undo the inconvenience caused,” the airlines stated.  

“An alternate aircraft has been arranged and is now scheduled to depart at 2300 hrs. We want to assure our customers that their safety and comfort remain our top priorities,” the airlines asserted.