Singapore High Commissioner Attends Staff's Wedding Virtually Amid Massive IndiGo Flight Cancellation Crisis

Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, participated virtually in his staff member's wedding after being unable to travel to Jharkhand due to IndiGo's extensive flight cancellations. Wong had originally planned to fly to Deogarh but found himself among thousands of stranded passengers during the airline's operational crisis.

On December 5, Wong shared several photos on social media platform X showing him attending the wedding celebration virtually via tablet. He captioned his post with "Distance may divide us #IndiGoChaos, but Spirit #shaadi will unite us," adding warm congratulations and blessings for the newlyweds.

Earlier, Wong had expressed his frustration about missing the wedding, stating, "I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words." His post included images of wedding preparations and IndiGo's cancellation notice.

The diplomat's positive attitude amid the travel disruption provided a bright moment during what was a challenging situation for travelers across India.

IndiGo's operational crisis intensified on December 5, with the airline cancelling all domestic flights departing from Delhi airport until midnight. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) sources had initially suggested cancellations would only last until 3 pm, but the situation deteriorated throughout the day.

Late that evening, at 11:51 pm, Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport released an advisory informing passengers that IndiGo's operations were "steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy." The announcement followed a day of widespread confusion that saw more than 1,000 flights grounded on Friday alone.

IndiGo issued an apology on X that night, promising full refunds for all cancelled flights.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu addressed the situation, stating that the government's immediate focus was on restoring normal operations and supporting affected passengers. He announced that a committee had been formed to investigate the disruptions, determine what went wrong, and identify responsible parties.

Naidu emphasized that the government would not overlook the matter and intended to take firm action, ensuring accountability for those responsible for the widespread disruptions.

With nearly 2,300 daily flights and a fleet exceeding 400 aircraft, IndiGo has experienced a severe breakdown in punctuality, with effects potentially continuing for several more days.