World Cup winner blasts IndiGo after being stuck at Mumbai airport for 12 hours, says 'No body cares in our country...'

IndiGo crisis continued for the fifth day on Saturday due to new pilot rest regulations and more than 100 flights were cancelled and thousands of passengers stranded at airports in Mumbai, Guwahati and Hyderabad. Thousands of passengers have been stranded at the airport, including cricketer Madan Lal, as over 1,000 flights were cancelled. The 1983 World Cup-winning cricketer Madan Lal shared his ordeal on X and it has now gone viral.

According to a report in Times of India, Madan Lal was stuck at the airport for 12 hours, voiced his frustration online, amplifying outrage around the situation. "My flight was delayed by 12 hours from Mumbai. Nobody cares in our country for the people. The airport was like a fish market," he posted on X, triggering a wave of reactions from travellers facing similar situation.

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IndiGo cancels over 200 flights from Delhi, Mumbai

IndiGo has cancelled over 200 flights from Delhi and Mumbai on Saturday, PTI reported citing sources. Of these cancelled flights, 109 IndiGo flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport, 51 arrivals and 58 departures, and 106 flights at Delhi airport, which included 54 departures and 52 arrivals, they said.

On Friday, IndiGo cancelled over 1,000 flights from across airports. In the one-way video communication, IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers also said that the airline was expecting fewer than 1,000 flights on Saturday.

The disruption of IndiGo flights across various airport stems from new pilot rest regulations which mandate 48 hours of weekly rest — 12 hours more than before — and limit night-time landings from six to two per week. IndiGo admitted to “misjudgment and planning gaps” while adjusting to the rules.

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IndiGo issues apology

In a public message, Elbers apologised and outlined the airline’s response efforts. "Firstly, customer communication and addressing your needs. For this, messages have been sent on social media. And just now, a more detailed communication with information on refunds, cancellations, and other customer support measures was sent," he said.

IndiGo, which operates around 2,300 flights daily, anticipates “full normalisation” between December 10 and 15, though it cautioned recovery will be gradual due to the scale of operations. Meanwhile, visuals of long queues, packed terminals, and frustrated passengers — amplified by Lal’s criticism — have fuelled growing calls for accountability and stronger contingency planning. “Full normalisation is expected between December 10 and 15, though recovery will take time given the scale of operations,” Elbers reiterated.