Nearly 700 flights were delayed and at least 20 cancelled at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as many passengers and crew members were stuck in traffic congestion en route to the airport due to security arrangements in view of protests in the city against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Heavy security arrangement and barricading at Delhi’s border with Gurugram and adjoining areas led to massive traffic snarls, delaying commuters by several hours, including IndiGo’s crew members, who were unable to reach the airport for their flights, according to an airport official. The airline had to cancel 20 of its flights.
According to flightradar24.com, a total of 464 flights scheduled to depart, and nearly 223 flights scheduled to arrive into Delhi, faced delays as poor visibility added to the misery of passengers.
All airlines offered to accommodate affected passengers in alternate flights for free, as well as free cancellations and rescheduling.
In view of traffic jams in the National Capital Region, Air India has decided to give a full refund on no-show, and adjust on subsequent flights, all those passengers who were unable to reach the airport on time on Thursday. Passengers wanting to cancel on Thursday for this reason would also receive a full refund, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani posted on Twitter.
IndiGo said that in a statement that it had made arrangements for its crew at hotel rooms near the airport, so that they could be deployed at short notice.
