Dancer and actor Lauren Gottlieb has become the latest public figure to publicly criticize IndiGo airlines, issuing a stark warning to travelers to avoid the carrier entirely as the aviation crisis continues to wreak havoc across India. Captured in viral paparazzi footage outside Mumbai Airport on Friday, December 5, Gottlieb dragged her luggage through the terminal while venting her frustration to reporters, describing the scenes inside as resembling an “apocalypse.”
Her candid outburst reflects the mounting anger among thousands of passengers who have been left stranded across major Indian airports over four consecutive days as IndiGo, the nation’s largest carrier commanding over 60% of the domestic aviation market, grapples with unprecedented operational failures.
A Passenger’s Nightmare: Gottlieb’s Dubai Flight Cancelled
Gottlieb, who was scheduled to fly to Dubai on Friday, became an unexpected victim of the widespread chaos that has characterized the ongoing crisis. Expressing her visible distress to paparazzi, she said: “This is a public service announcement. Do not take IndiGo. Everything you are seeing online is so what’s happening. It looks like the apocalypse inside. All the flights to Dubai, where I am going-cancelled! Everything cancelled. There are hundreds of people in there. It looks like some disaster has happened, and I feel trauma right now. Do not fly IndiGo, especially now, maybe not ever. But especially now. Just don’t do it!”
Her frustration echoes the sentiments of countless other travelers who have arrived at airports only to discover their flights abruptly cancelled with minimal notice or adequate support. The celebrity’s public condemnation adds another layer of embarrassment for an airline already under intense scrutiny from government authorities and passengers nationwide.
Scale of the Crisis: Over 1,000 Flights Cancelled in Four Days
The operational collapse has reached staggering proportions, with IndiGo cancelling over 1,000 flights across India within just four days. On Friday alone, approximately 500 flights were scrapped, with cancellations hitting major aviation hubs particularly hard. Mumbai airport recorded 118 cancellations, Bengaluru 100, Hyderabad 75, Kolkata 35, Chennai 26, and Goa 11, leaving passengers scattered across terminals with little clarity about rebooking or compensation.
The airline’s on-time performance plummeted to a dismal 8.5% on Thursday, a shocking decline from its typical 80% punctuality rate at major Indian airports. The crisis has forced authorities to mandate all IndiGo departures from Delhi Airport to remain suspended until midnight on multiple occasions.
Root Cause: New Crew Regulations and Planning Failures
IndiGo has attributed the chaos to a confluence of factors, primarily a critical shortage of pilots stemming from its failure to adequately prepare for newly implemented government regulations governing pilot rest periods and flight duty hours. The new regulations, which require longer rest periods and limit night shifts, reducing night landings from six to two per week were designed to reduce pilot fatigue but caught IndiGo completely unprepared.
The airline has publicly acknowledged its “misjudgment and planning shortcomings” in adapting to the revised regulations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now stepped in, demanding that IndiGo submit a comprehensive roadmap detailing pilot hiring, training timelines, roster restructuring, and safety assessments without delay.
Passenger Suffering and Government Response
Stranded travelers have reported harrowing experiences, including delays exceeding 12 hours without adequate food, water, or clear communication from airline staff. Queues at ticket counters have grown exponentially as passengers desperately attempt to rebook flights or retrieve luggage. Senior citizens, business travelers with critical commitments, and families with children have described the response from the airline as “abysmal” and inadequate.
In response to the escalating crisis, IndiGo has issued two public apologies and announced relief measures including waiver of cancellation and rescheduling fees for travel between December 5-15, automatic full refunds to original payment methods, and arrangements for accommodations and meals for affected passengers.
The government has stated that flight schedules are expected to stabilize by midnight, with normal operations resuming over the subsequent couple of days. IndiGo has also announced plans to scale back flight operations from December 8 and expects to restore full normalcy by February 10, though the aviation authority remains vigilant in monitoring the situation.
By – Sonali