Domestic departures from Delhi & Chennai airports suspended amid fears of overcrowding – Firstpost

The IndiGo fiasco continues to escalate as Delhi Airport on Friday suspended all IndiGo domestic departures until midnight. The move intensified the airline’s nationwide operational crisis that has stretched into its fifth day and left thousands of passengers stranded across major metros.

In a statement on Friday, Airport officials said that the decision was taken to prevent overcrowding inside the terminals. Authorities urged passengers not to arrive at the airport at all for IndiGo departures scheduled before midnight.

The move came amid an instant rise in delays and cancellations of IndiGo flights that have crippled the carrier’s network. According to PTI, IndiGo has already cancelled more than 700 flights on Friday alone.

As per the data released by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the airline’s on-time performance has plunged to 8.5 per cent as of December 4, 2025. The situation worsened throughout the week. Bengaluru logged over 100 cancellations by Friday morning, while Hyderabad recorded more than 90.

Passenger Advisory issued at 11:10 Hours#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/dZBdrW5aob

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 5, 2025

Meanwhile, shortly after the Delhi Airport’s notification, IndiGo has cancelled all flights operating from Chennai on Friday. Following this, the airline has formally written to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), requesting not to allow IndiGo passengers inside the Chennai Airport terminal, as no flights are operational.

The disruptions have now resulted in more than 1,500 cancellations in four days, making this one of the most severe schedule breakdowns in the airline’s history. With Delhi halting all departures to manage congestion and passenger flow, and cancellations continuing nationwide, travel plans for thousands remain in disarray, especially amid the holiday season.

With inputs from agencies.