Due to ongoing large-scale flight cancellations and chaos at multiple airports, Singapore High Commissioner Simon Wong’s IndiGo flight from Delhi to Jharkhand’s Deoghar was cancelled, leaving him upset as he was travelling to attend one of his staffer’s weddings.
Wong, who couldn’t be physically present at the celebration, decided to join the festivities virtually. He posted clips of himself taking part in the wedding online, dressed in traditional Indian attire, along with a heartfelt message for the newlyweds.
“Distance may divide us #IndiGoChaos, but Spirit #shaadi will unite us. Beta, congratulations, and may your marriage be a happy and blessed one,” Wong wrote.
He had also apologised to the staffer for not being able to attend the wedding.
“I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words,” Wong shared through the official Singapore High Commission handle.
IndiGo flights status: latest update
In the last four days, major cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad — have witnessed hundreds of flight cancellations by IndiGo, one of India’s largest airlines. The situation has improved slightly today, but more than 440 flights were still cancelled.
The airline, which operates about 60 per cent of India’s domestic market, has issued an apology and assured that all affected passengers will receive refunds.
The airline, has said the crisis stems from a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” pointing also to minor technical issues, winter schedule adjustments and adverse weather.
But according to aviation insiders and regulators, the core reason lies in the rollout of the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL). These revised duty-hour norms, aimed at ensuring adequate rest for flight crews and preventing fatigue, were introduced in January 2024 but had not been enforced until now. The DGCA has linked the disruptions to IndiGo’s “misjudgment and gap in planning” while implementing these regulations.
To manage the surge in passengers, South Central Railway has announced that it will run four special trains. A press release from SCR said it is operating special services to Chennai, Mumbai and Shalimar (Kolkata) from Hyderabad today.
SpiceJet has also announced a major expansion of its departures from Mumbai for the day.
