While some passengers got lucky and were able to go home in flights on Monday, there were many plagued by last-minute cancellations as confusion reigned at the airport. The experience was especially harrowing because travellers had to arrange for cabs and e-passes to reach the airport itself.

Rahul Pugalia and his wife Chanchal had come to Mumbai in March for her delivery in the second week of March. "On Sunday, I booked flight tickets to Hyderabad for me, my wife and our baby. We reached the airport somehow and even checked in the luggage. But then we were told that the Air India flight has been cancelled," said Pugalia at T2. His brother-in-law Gaurav Somani had come to see them off in his car.