'Lost for words': Singapore High Commissioner stranded in IndiGo chaos, misses staff's wedding
IndiGo, India's largest airline, cancelled all its departing domestic flights from Delhi Airport until midnight on Friday due to ongoing operational challenges
- Dec 5, 2025,
- Updated Dec 5, 2025 2:25 PM IST
Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, became one of the thousands of passengers stranded by IndiGo's flight cancellations on Friday, as the airline faced severe operational disruptions. In a tweet, Wong expressed his frustration, sharing his personal experience of being affected by the airline's widespread cancellations.
"I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words," he wrote on X.
Wong's situation was part of a much larger disruption. IndiGo, India's largest airline, cancelled all its departing domestic flights from Delhi Airport until midnight on Friday due to ongoing operational challenges. The cancellations, which affected hundreds of passengers, were a result of a shortage of pilots. The shortage was caused due to the aviation regulator's new rules that restricted the duty hours for pilots and crew.
IndiGo cancelled over 700 flights on Friday. Some passengers also claimed airfares for flights on the Mumbai-Delhi route had soared to around Rs 60,000 on Thursday. IndiGo generally operates around 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of over 400 planes.
In an official message sent to affected passengers, IndiGo expressed its apologies, stating: "We sincerely regret to inform you that your IndiGo PNR for upcoming flight has been cancelled due to recent disruptions. A full refund will be processed to your original mode of payment within 3–5 days."
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) confirmed that while IndiGo was struggling, the operations of other carriers at the airport remained unaffected. "IndiGo domestic flights departing from Delhi Airport on 5th December 2025 are cancelled till midnight today (till 23:59 hours)," DIAL stated on social media, adding that efforts were underway to ease the situation for affected passengers.
To get the operations back on track, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, rolled back a key provision of new crew rostering rules, allowing airlines to substitute crew leave for weekly rest. This move came after several airlines, including IndiGo, requested a review to help ensure the continuity of operations.
The operational disruptions, which have seen IndiGo's On-Time Performance (OTP) plunge to below 20%, are expected to continue, leaving many passengers—including high-profile figures like Simon Wong—waiting for relief.
Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, became one of the thousands of passengers stranded by IndiGo's flight cancellations on Friday, as the airline faced severe operational disruptions. In a tweet, Wong expressed his frustration, sharing his personal experience of being affected by the airline's widespread cancellations.
"I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words," he wrote on X.
Wong's situation was part of a much larger disruption. IndiGo, India's largest airline, cancelled all its departing domestic flights from Delhi Airport until midnight on Friday due to ongoing operational challenges. The cancellations, which affected hundreds of passengers, were a result of a shortage of pilots. The shortage was caused due to the aviation regulator's new rules that restricted the duty hours for pilots and crew.
IndiGo cancelled over 700 flights on Friday. Some passengers also claimed airfares for flights on the Mumbai-Delhi route had soared to around Rs 60,000 on Thursday. IndiGo generally operates around 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of over 400 planes.
In an official message sent to affected passengers, IndiGo expressed its apologies, stating: "We sincerely regret to inform you that your IndiGo PNR for upcoming flight has been cancelled due to recent disruptions. A full refund will be processed to your original mode of payment within 3–5 days."
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) confirmed that while IndiGo was struggling, the operations of other carriers at the airport remained unaffected. "IndiGo domestic flights departing from Delhi Airport on 5th December 2025 are cancelled till midnight today (till 23:59 hours)," DIAL stated on social media, adding that efforts were underway to ease the situation for affected passengers.
To get the operations back on track, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, rolled back a key provision of new crew rostering rules, allowing airlines to substitute crew leave for weekly rest. This move came after several airlines, including IndiGo, requested a review to help ensure the continuity of operations.
The operational disruptions, which have seen IndiGo's On-Time Performance (OTP) plunge to below 20%, are expected to continue, leaving many passengers—including high-profile figures like Simon Wong—waiting for relief.