Immediate measures at Patna airport
Patna airport director C.P. Dwivedi said AAI teams are providing support including meals and seating for affected travellers, and that extra staff have been deployed to maintain facilities. A centralised control room with AAI and railways representatives is operating inside the terminal to coordinate responses and speed up decisions during disruptions. Helpline numbers including 9471000714 have been activated for passengers seeking assistance.
Scale of cancellations and passenger impact
IndiGo’s cancellations have been widespread: reports show single-day cancellations at Patna ranging from 10 to more than 20 flights on some days, with larger tallies reported earlier in the week. Passengers at the airport have faced delays, uncertainty over refunds and last-minute changes in schedules as the airline works through operational shortfalls. Local authorities say additional seating and food supplies were arranged to manage crowds.
Airline and regulator responses
IndiGo has informed customers that refunds for cancellations between December 3 and 15 are being processed and has offered fee waivers on changes for bookings within the recovery window. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has intensified oversight of IndiGo’s operations nationally, summoning the carrier’s leadership and ordering inspections at multiple airports as authorities press for quick resolution.
What the AAI chairman directed
Following a directive from the AAI chairman, airport directors across the country held an online meeting to ensure consistent passenger support during the outage. At Patna, the airport director personally met passengers, gathered feedback and broadcast regular flight updates on the airport’s official social handle. Officials said cancellations have tapered somewhat and that normal operations are expected by Dec 15, though they cautioned that recovery depends on airline scheduling and crew availability.
Contingency steps and inter-agency coordination
To bolster passenger care, a railways help desk was placed inside the control room to provide alternatives where feasible. Airports also stepped up cleaning staff, instructed food outlets to stock extra supplies and prepared contingency seating in the new integrated terminal. Such coordinated steps aim to reduce the immediate discomfort for travellers while airline operations stabilise.
Safety drill amid the disruption
In a separate but timely exercise, Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport conducted a bomb-threat mock drill to test contingency planning and inter-agency response. The drill, officials said, helped validate coordination among the Airport Security Group, local police and airport operators even as the facility handled large passenger volumes due to cancellations.
What passengers should do now
Passengers holding IndiGo tickets for travel through December 15 should check the airline’s official communication channels for refund status and rebooking options, use airport helplines for on-ground assistance, and consider rail alternatives for urgent travel. The DGCA and AAI remain the primary contacts for regulatory complaints and airport-level support respectively. For official guidance, refer to DGCA and AAI portals.
