New Delhi, Dec 06 IndiGo’s nationwide operational crisis worsened on Saturday as the airline cancelled 405 domestic flights, marking the fifth consecutive day of severe disruptions. The large-scale cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded and triggered chaotic scenes at airports across the country.
With IndiGo operating nearly 2,300 flights daily and maintaining a fleet of over 400 aircraft, its punctuality has dropped sharply due to a sudden and significant shortage of pilots—an issue officials attribute to planning failures. Authorities are closely tracking developments as the disruptions are expected to continue for several more days.
To manage the sudden spike in passenger demand, the Indian Railways stepped in to offer relief. A total of 116 extra coaches have been deployed across 37 premium trains, covering 114 additional trips nationwide. These augmentations aim to absorb the rush of passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations.
According to the Railway Ministry, the Southern Railway recorded the highest number of enhancements, adding extra capacity to 18 trains through Chair Car and Sleeper Class coaches. The changes, implemented from December 6, 2025, provide a substantial boost to travel capacity in the southern region.
The Northern Railway followed with similar measures on eight trains, adding 3AC and Chair Car coaches to support busy northern routes. Western Railway strengthened four high-demand trains with 3AC and 2AC coaches to accommodate heavy travel from western states to Delhi. Meanwhile, the East Central Railway added 2AC coaches on the Rajendra Nagar–New Delhi route for five trips between December 6 and 10, improving connectivity on the crucial Bihar–Delhi sector.
The East Coast Railway also enhanced its Bhubaneswar–New Delhi services by adding 2AC coaches across five trips, providing more options for travellers moving between Odisha and the national capital.
Indian Railways Executive Director (Information & Publicity) Dilip Kumar said the Railways is committed to easing passenger movement. “Considering the rush, Indian Railways has decided to add extra coaches to several trains and operate special services. So far, 116 additional coaches have been planned for 37 trains,” Kumar told IANS.
In addition to augmenting existing trains, the Railways has introduced four special trains to handle the surge. These include:
- Gorakhpur–Anand Vihar Terminal–Gorakhpur Special (05591/05592), operating four trips between December 7 and 9.
- New Delhi–Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan–New Delhi Reserved Vande Bharat Special (02439/02440), running on December 6 for fast connectivity to Jammu.
- New Delhi–Mumbai Central–New Delhi Reserved Superfast Special (04002/04001), operating on December 6 and 7 to support heavy western-sector travel.
- Hazrat Nizamuddin–Thiruvananthapuram Central Reserved Superfast Special (04080), running one way on December 6 to provide long-distance connectivity to the south.
As IndiGo works to stabilise operations amid a persistent pilot shortage, the Indian Railways continues to absorb the passenger load, offering much-needed relief to those affected by the aviation crisis.
