Mohammed Siraj said he was not able to believe that he was called up to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup when he got a call from captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Gandhi said it is ordinary Indians who pay the price in delays, cancellations and helplessness.
If you travelled on IndiGo in the last few days -- or if you were stranded at an airport because of these delays -- share your experience with us at getahead@rediff.co.in.
This move comes as a precautionary measure, in light of airspace restrictions and heightened security.
60 years ago, on January 24, 1966, Dr Homi J Bhabha, the father of India's nuclear programme, died in an air crash on Mont Blanc. The official inquiry said the plane went off course in bad weather, but coincidences, missing evidence, and later unproven claims have kept conspiracy theories alive. A fascinating excerpt from Bakhtiar Dadabhoy's book, Homi J Bhabha: A Life.
Meanwhile, only three runways are operational at the airport now as one runway is closed for maintenance works.
'They are saying that there is a pilot shortage which is not correct, but if it was true, did they suddenly come to know this on December 5?' 'If they didn't have crew, why did they seek approval for a winter schedule? To get the approval, the operator has to show crew strength and also a buffer of crew available.' 'If they had a crew crunch, why did they ask for extra flights? Or was it something else that made them so sure that they would get away with this exemption and bans?'
SpiceJet recorded the highest complaint rate per 10,000 passengers, rising sharply from 3.9 in November 2024 to 13.8 in October 2025.
'I don't think it is right to remove him over one lapse. The focus should be on restoring operations, not on removing a key management personnel.'
Citing heavy losses all around, SLC urges PCB to reconsider boycott of Indo-Pak fixture
An investigation into the matter is currently ongoing, and police have stated that no further details will be released at this stage.
Union Minister assures accountability after IndiGo flight cancellations cause widespread passenger distress and mental harassment. The DGCA has launched an inquiry and issued a notice to IndiGo.
At least five Kingfisher Airlines flights out of Mumbai and Delhi were cancelled on Monday as a section of staff did not report for duty to demand immediate payment of salary and allowance backlog.
Air India, in a statement, said it has cancelled a "small" number of flights between November and December on account of delayed return of some aircraft from heavy maintenance and supply chain constraints, without naming the destinations.
Nine major trade unions have called for a 24-hour long nationwide bandh on Tuesday to protest against price rise, disinvestment of public sector, retrenchment and entry of foreign capital in retail market.
Besides, as many as 44 per cent of the incoming flights were delayed by an average 8 minutes.
Apart from the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) exemptions, the regulator has provided certain other relaxations that will help IndiGo have more pilots for duty to reduce the disruptions and normalise operations.
Fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) is examining whether the country's largest airline, IndiGo, violated competition norms, a senior official said on Friday amid the carrier facing regulatory scrutiny over significant flight disruptions.
Equity markets fell on Monday, with benchmark indices recording their worst session in over two months amid caution ahead of the US Federal Reserve's (Fed's) policy announcement and renewed uncertainty over the US-India trade deal. Sustained selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) also weighed on sentiment.
'It has got to be the biggest error in aviation. If it is the biggest error, then all those individuals in positions of power should be removed because they have caused the biggest meltdown in Indian aviation history.'
Mohammed Siraj has expressed his frustration and disappointment over the delay of his Air India Express flight on Wednesday.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation-appointed panel investigating the flight disruptions at IndiGo is likely to summon the airline's CEO Pieter Elbers and Chief Operating Officer Isidre Porqueras on Wednesday as part of the ongoing probe, according to a source on Monday.
The US Department of State highlighted a mission-defining challenge during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit in November amid the US government shutdown, detailing the security measures taken to ensure his protection.
Captured in powerful images and unforgettable moments, 2025 emerged as a turning point in global affairs. These images tell the defining stories that shaped the world across continents.
'The CCI will first need to take a prima facie view on whether IndiGo's role warrants a detailed investigation.'
Passengers were left stranded at the Sardar Vallabhai Airpot on Tuesday as two Mumbai-bound flights of Jet Airways were cancelled from Ahmedabad after the airline pilots went on mass casual leave.
Pilots' body Airlines' Pilots Association (ALPA) India on Friday took 'strong' objection to safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s 'selective and unsafe' relief to domestic carrier IndiGo, amid widescale cancellations, saying the decision sets a dangerous precedent.
The country's largest airline IndiGo, which faced massive operational disruptions earlier this month, saw its domestic market share slide to 63.6 per cent in November, according to official data. Air India Group, comprising Air India and Air India Express, and SpiceJet had their respective market shares in November rise to 26.7 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively.
The operations at the country's second busiest airport had witnessed heavy disruptions on Wednesday as rains crippled the city.
'They collected our passports and boarding passes. The chaos continued. There was no coordination amongst the IndiGo staff and airport staff.'
As many as 44 flights to and from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru were cancelled owing to the Karnataka bandh over the Cauvery water sharing issue with Tamil Nadu, airport authorities said.
In a post on X in the morning, IndiGo said there was heavy downpour over Delhi, causing some temporary disruption to flight schedules.
Air India Pune-bound flight from Delhi suffered a bird hit on Friday, forcing the airline to cancel its return journey.
Air India and Air India Express on Tuesday progressively resumed their services to the Middle East, with flights to Dubai and Muscat, respectively, as countries in the region reopened their airspaces.
Earlier in the day, the ministry of external affairs "strongly advised" Indians to avoid travel to Iran until further notice, amid rising tensions and protests in the Islamic Republic.
India's archers endured a night of chaos when their return to the country from Dhaka after the Asian Championships was delayed by a day due to a cancelled flight.
Heavy winds swept the valley throughout the day and did not allow the operation of flights.
Videos circulating online showed Gaurav, 44, and Saurav, 40, being escorted by Thai police at Bangkok airport ahead of their departure for India.
Air-India's flight on Singapore-Chennai-Mumbai sector (AI-473) was suddenly cancelled on Monday morning, airport sources said in Chennai.
The Ahmedabad airport cancelled flights post the crash before resuming limited flights in the evening.
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