Students studying abroad, working people and patients had to face mental stress.
Patna. Monday was a troublesome day for passengers at Patna Airport. Not one or two, but a total of 24 Indigo flights were suddenly cancelled. The problem of flight cancellations that had been going on for the last several days reached its peak and had a direct impact on thousands of passengers. Indigo again confirmed the cancellation citing the same old reason as operational issue, but no concrete solution was found for the huge inconvenience caused to the passengers. Hyderabad and Delhi routes were most affected.
According to media reports, the 24 canceled flights included 10 inbound and 14 outbound. People dependent on these flights to and from Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata remained in queues at the counters since morning. Many passengers expressed displeasure after getting information about cancellation after waiting for 3-4 hours. Ten flights coming to Patna from Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata remained canceled throughout the day. Of these, three flights from Delhi route and four flights from Hyderabad were most affected.
According to the report, the biggest problem was faced by those passengers who had international flights from Delhi or Hyderabad. Due to sudden cancellation many people missed their connecting flights. Students studying abroad, working people and patients had to face immense mental pressure. Tatkal tickets are available in other airlines at double-triple prices. Despite the government issuing instructions to control air fares, there is no significant relief in prices. Many families afforded hotels, as the next flights were available the next day or even beyond.
Long queues started forming at the domestic terminal of Patna Airport from 6 am onwards. Elderly people and women were troubled by waiting for hours. Many people kept waiting in the hope that the flight might be reinstated, but it did not happen. IndiGo issued a brief note saying that the flights have been canceled due to operational reasons and passengers are being given the facility of refund, re-booking or credit shell. Continuous cancellation of flights on major routes from Patna is an indication that if the system does not improve, the problems of passengers may increase in the coming days.
