Approximately 400 IndiGo passengers en route to Delhi and Mumbai have reportedly been stranded for 24 hours at Istanbul Airport in Turkey, according to an NDTV report. The airline attributed the delay to operational reasons, but passengers claimed they were not provided food or accommodation, and some were in poor health.One passenger posted on X at 2:43 AM (IST) on Thursday: “We have a flight from Istanbul to Delhi operated by @IndiGo6E, with nearly 500 people stranded at the airport. The original departure was at 20:10, but they now say it’s delayed until the next day at 13:30, such nonsense. Is this how you treat your passengers?
Another passenger, Rohan Raja, voiced his frustration, explaining that after the 6:40 AM flight from Delhi was canceled, passengers were left to endure the cold without transportation to the accommodations they were allegedly provided.
Passenger Parshwa Mehta also took to X on Friday at 3:50 AM (IST), expressing disappointment over the handling of the delay for flight 6E0018 from Istanbul to Mumbai. The flight, initially scheduled to depart at 8:15 PM, was delayed to 11:00 PM, then further pushed to 10:00 AM the next day. Mehta shared his frustration, stating that there was no communication from IndiGo staff at the gate, with Turkish Airlines crew being the only source of information. He described the lounge as overcrowded and too small to accommodate the large number of stranded passengers. Mehta further complained about the lack of alternative flights, poor communication, and no clear compensation plansHe questioned the airline’s accountability, stating, “This delay isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a clear failure of basic customer service. Where is the accountability? Where is the empathy for the passengers stranded overnight at the airport?” Mehta called for an explanation, apology, and compensation from IndiGo.IndiGo responded to his complaint, apologizing for the inconvenience and assuring they would connect with him. Earlier in December, IndiGo was ranked among the “world’s worst airlines” in the 2024 AirHelp Score report, securing 103rd place out of 109 airlines, with a score of 4.80.The low ranking was attributed to poor customer satisfaction and the airline’s handling of flight disruption claims. In response, IndiGo criticized the survey’s methodology, highlighting the lack of transparency regarding the sample size from India. The airline defended its reputation as India’s most preferred carrier, reaffirming its commitment to providing on-time, affordable, courteous, and hassle-free travel experiences.
