Passengers at Delhi Airport faced a chaotic evening on Monday as an IndiGo flight 6E517 was delayed by nearly 4 hours following technical issues and air traffic congestion. According to IndiGo staff, the aircraft attempted to land twice but was unsuccessful due to system faults and was subsequently diverted to Jaipur for refueling and further checks.
Initially, the delay was communicated as 30 minutes, which was extended twice before being rescheduled to 22:40 hrs — a tentative time shared with passengers, subject to further delay.
Adding to the tension, a source reported heated exchanges at the terminal, with a group of passengers expressing their frustration, shouting “Aaplog hume idiot samjhte hai kya?” (Do you think we’re fools?). The mood shifted only after the airline began offering complimentary rajma chawal, which pacified most of the waiting flyers. “Everyone suddenly went quiet,” said a source at the terminal.
In response to queries on social media, IndiGo confirmed that the flight was diverted due to “the consequential effect of air traffic congestion at Delhi Airport,” calling the delay an uncontrollable ATC (Air Traffic Control) issue.
Adding to the operational challenges, flights originally scheduled to land at Delhi’s Terminal 2 will be diverted to Terminal 1 from midnight (00:00 hrs) on April 15. According to airport sources, approximately 85 flights are expected to land between 12:00 am and 6:00 am, raising concerns of further congestion and delays at Delhi Airport.
