Approximately 400 IndiGo passengers have been stuck at Istanbul Airport for over a day due to extensive flight delays from Istanbul to Delhi and Mumbai. Travelers have taken to social media to voice their frustration, citing poor airline communication, insufficient food and inadequate accommodations.
The issues began when the flight from Istanbul to Delhi, initially scheduled for 8:10 PM on December 12, was delayed until 1:30 PM the next day. Passengers were left at the airport without proper updates or support from IndiGo staff. One traveler shared their frustration online, criticizing the airline for not offering food, lodging, or timely information, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
Similarly, the flight from Istanbul to Mumbai, originally set to depart at 8:15 PM on December 12, was rescheduled to 11:00 PM, then further delayed until 10:00 AM the following morning.
As the delays continued, passengers expressed anger on social media, mentioning that Turkish Airlines staff were giving updates instead of IndiGo employees. The lounge at Istanbul Airport, which was supposed to offer some relief, became overcrowded and failed to accommodate all the stranded passengers, leading to more frustration as travelers were left standing for hours. Many passengers complained about the lack of alternative flight options or clear communication regarding compensation.
One passenger, traveling on the Mumbai-bound flight, expressed their dissatisfaction with IndiGo’s customer service, calling it a serious service failure rather than a minor inconvenience. “Where is the accountability? Where is the empathy for passengers stranded overnight at the airport?” they posted, demanding an explanation and apology from the airline.
In response to the situation, IndiGo apologized for the inconvenience and assured passengers that they would be contacted directly. While acknowledging the issue, the airline did not offer specific reasons for the delays but encouraged passengers to send their details via direct message for further assistance, saying, “Hi, we are concerned to know what went wrong. Please share your PNR and contact details via DM so we can investigate.”
At the time of writing, both flights to Delhi and Mumbai were still awaiting departure, with passengers still stranded at Istanbul Airport.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has recently been ranked among the world’s least favorable airlines in the 2024 global rankings released by AirHelp, a European claims processing agency. The airline ranked 103rd out of 109 airlines, with a score of 4.80, based on on-time performance, customer satisfaction, and handling of compensation claims.
IndiGo rejected the findings, questioning the legitimacy of the survey’s methodology and sample size. The airline emphasized that India’s aviation regulator, DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), regularly publishes data on airline punctuality and customer complaints, where IndiGo consistently ranks high in punctuality and has the lowest complaint ratio among airlines of its size. IndiGo further noted that the AirHelp survey did not include data from India nor account for industry-standard compensation practices, casting doubt on its accuracy.
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