Aazan Manzoor
Srinagar, Dec 8: Flight disruptions showed no signs of easing in Jammu & Kashmir as IndiGo Airlines once again cancelled a significant portion of its operations early Monday morning, leaving passengers distressed for the fourth consecutive day.
An airport official told news agency JKNS that, by 07:40 AM, Srinagar International Airport had 64 scheduled flight movements 32 arrivals and 32 departures. Of these, IndiGo was operating 36 flights.
However, 16 of its services 8 arrivals and 8 departures stood cancelled.
No cancellations were reported from any other airline, official said.
Officials said that no flight delays were recorded in the morning, indicating that the cancellations were pre-planned operational cuts, continuing the chain of nationwide disruptions that have severely affected travellers in Jammu & Kashmir since Friday.
Passengers who reached the airport in the early hours expressed anger, frustration and helplessness. Students travelling for competitive exams and interviews said these abrupt cancellations had caused “serious academic setbacks” with no alternate flights available. Patients scheduled for medical appointments outside the Valley said they were left “stranded without options,” while travellers with urgent work reported significant financial and personal losses.
Monday’s cancellations come on the back of a relentless three-day disruption streak. On Friday, the Valley witnessed 41 cancellations including 39 IndiGo flights triggering chaos, long queues and widespread uncertainty at both Srinagar and Jammu airports.
On Saturday, 21 more flights were cancelled, including 14 IndiGo services in Srinagar and 3 in Jammu.
On Sunday, by 9 AM, IndiGo had cancelled four flights and delayed two more at Srinagar airport.
According to preliminary inputs, the cancellations are linked to IndiGo’s ongoing adjustments in line with new DGCA safety directives. Additionally, crew availability constraints have contributed to delays and cancellations across several airports in the country this week.
Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with the airline for the latest updates on flight timings.
With 16 additional cancellations this morning, the continuous breakdown has now affected thousands of passengers over four days, marking one of the worst disruption phases of the winter season.
Earlier on Saturday, The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a strict 24-hour show-cause notice to IndiGo Airlines after days of severe flight disruptions caused widespread inconvenience and distress to passengers across multiple airports. (JKNS)
