Indigo Chaos Leaves Tripura Flyers Stranded
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
- Dec 05, 2025
- 1195
Amid the nationwide turmoil triggered by the near-collapse of Indigo Airlines’ operations, air travellers from the landlocked state of Tripura appear to be among the worst affected. According to the latest reports, more than five hundred Indigo flights have been cancelled across India, leaving passengers stranded without compensation, accommodation, or even basic arrangements for food and temporary shelter.
At Tripura’s MBB Airport on the outskirts of Agartala, the situation has deteriorated sharply over the past two days, with three flights cancelled on each of the two consecutive days. Hundreds of passengers — including a significant number of patients scheduled to travel to Kolkata and various South Indian cities for medical treatment — remain stuck inside the airport lounge with no clarity about their travel prospects.
Former PCC president and sitting Congress MLA Gopal Roy criticised both Indigo Airlines and the Airports Authority of India, alleging that neither entity is taking responsibility for the plight of the stranded passengers — be it the refund of ticket fares, or arrangements for their stay, lodging, and food.
“The situation is chaotic. The stranded air passengers, particularly those who are patients, continue to suffer immensely. The abrupt cancellation of flights is causing severe hardship for those who depend on medical care outside the state. There is absolutely no clarity, and Indigo has remained silent, abandoning passengers to fend for themselves,” Roy said.
He further accused the state government of indifference and inertia, while also blaming the Centre for its failure to intervene effectively. “The state government must immediately seek the intervention of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry as well as the Indigo management to ensure relief for stranded passengers and facilitate the earliest resumption of services,” he said.
Meanwhile, a civil aviation expert suggested that Indigo’s drastic disruption of services may be a deliberate act of sabotage in reaction to the newly enforced Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Under the revised FDTL, pilots must now receive a weekly rest period of 48 hours instead of the earlier 36 hours. Additionally, the definition of night duty hours has been extended from 12:00 AM–5:00 AM to 12:00 AM–6:00 AM. Maximum permissible night flying time has been reduced to 8 hours, while total night duty hours have been capped at 10, with pilots allowed only two night landings instead of six.
According to the expert, these changes could significantly impact the profit margins of Indigo, currently the country’s largest private airline. He speculated that the airline may have intentionally triggered operational paralysis to pressure the government into rolling back the new rules — a claim he made on the condition of anonymity.