Over 400 IndiGo Flights Cancelled on 5th Day of Crisis; Indian Railways Adds Coaches to Assist Passengers

New Delhi – IndiGo cancelled 405 domestic flights on Saturday, marking the fifth day of the airline’s ongoing operational crisis. To assist stranded passengers, Indian Railways has added extra coaches to its trains and introduced special services.

The low punctuality is attributed to an unexpected pilot shortage, with the airline operating over 2,300 flights daily across a fleet of more than 400 aircraft. Airports nationwide saw chaos as passengers voiced frustration over delays and cancellations.

In response, Indian Railways deployed 116 additional coaches across 37 premium trains on high-demand routes. Southern Railway saw the highest increase with 18 augmented trains, while Northern and Western Railways strengthened eight and four trains, respectively. East Central Railway added 2AC coaches to improve connectivity on the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi route, and East Coast Railway enhanced Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services.

Four special trains have also been introduced:

Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur (Dec 7–9)

New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi (Dec 6)

New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi (Dec 6–7)

Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central (Dec 6)

Indian Railway Board Executive Director Dilip Kumar said the measures, including extra coaches and special trains, are aimed at accommodating the surge of passengers and ensuring smoother travel during the disruption.

With inputs from IANS