A major disruption at Pune Airport unfolded as IndiGo’s operational breakdown left aircraft grounded, parking bays clogged and passengers stranded past midnight. Eight arrivals and eight departures were cancelled, 19 flights delayed, and 11 aircraft piled up on the apron
Display board at Pune Airport
A night of aviation turmoil unfolded at Pune Airport as widespread disruptions across IndiGo’s network triggered cascading delays and cancellations, pushing the airport into hours of operational chaos and leaving hundreds of passengers stranded well past midnight on Thursday.
The situation deteriorated late Wednesday when several IndiGo aircraft remained grounded for extended periods due to the non-availability of operating crew. With the airline unable to push out flights on time, parking bays remained occupied throughout the night, creating a severe bottleneck that crippled the airport’s tightly regulated apron space. As aircraft piled up on the ground, flight schedules across all airlines were thrown into disarray, regardless of carrier.
Maharashtra | Airport Director Pune says, "In view of ongoing airline operational disruptions affecting flight schedules, Pune Airport confirms that all operational teams across terminal management, security, apron services, and passenger facilitation remain fully mobilized to…
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025
By early Thursday morning, Pune Airport confirmed that eight arrival and eight departure flights had been cancelled, while nineteen flights were delayed by more than an hour. Eleven aircraft were parked on the apron simultaneously—an unusually high number for the facility—forcing incoming passengers to wait inside aircraft for hours after landing because no parking bay was available. The delays on incoming flights further disrupted departure schedules, triggering a chain reaction of missed connections, long queues at boarding gates, and irate passengers demanding clarity.
In an official statement issued in the early hours of Thursday, Pune Airport said all operational teams, from terminal management and ground handling to security, CISF, ATC, and apron control, remained fully mobilised throughout the night. The airport said it was coordinating closely with all stakeholders to manage apron congestion, assist inconvenienced passengers, and restore normalcy to flight movements. “Passenger welfare remains the highest priority,” the authority said, urging travellers for patience as the system gradually recovered.
IndiGo, facing nationwide criticism for the mounting chaos, acknowledged significant operational disruption across its network for the past two days and issued a formal apology to passengers. The airline attributed the crisis to a combination of unexpected technical glitches, winter-season schedule changes, adverse weather at key airports, system-wide congestion, and the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation rules affecting crew rostering. According to its statement, these factors compounded in unforeseen ways, deeply affecting punctuality and forcing the airline to recalibrate its operations.
To stabilise the situation, IndiGo said it had initiated schedule adjustments that would remain in place for the next 48 hours. The airline confirmed that affected passengers were being offered alternative travel arrangements or refunds and advised travellers to check updated flight status before heading to the airport. “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused,” the spokesperson said, adding that teams were working round-the-clock to normalise operations.
Through Thursday morning, delays continued at Pune Airport, with officials indicating that full recovery would take time due to the overnight backlog. Passengers arriving at the terminal were met with long queues, rescheduled departure times, and announcements of further disruptions as airlines attempted to realign their aircraft and crew positions.
Despite the chaos, airport authorities said operations were gradually improving but warned that passengers should expect residual delays through the day. The incident has once again highlighted Pune Airport’s constrained infrastructure, where limited parking bays often leave little room to absorb large-scale airline-specific disruptions.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
