Father Drives 800 Kilometers After IndiGo Flight Cancellation to Get Son to School Exam

Rajnath Panghal found himself in a difficult situation when he discovered his son's IndiGo flight to Indore had been cancelled.

Amidst the widespread IndiGo crisis that left thousands of families stranded at airports nationwide, numerous individuals faced significant disruptions to their plans. From missed weddings to job interviews, the mass flight cancellations created considerable inconvenience. One particularly notable case involves Rajnath Panghal from Rohtak district in Haryana, who undertook an extraordinary journey to ensure his son arrived at school in time for important examinations.

Panghal had made arrangements for his son to fly on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Indore, scheduled for departure at 5:35 pm on December 6. However, upon arriving at the airport, they were informed that the flight had been cancelled. "We were left in a state of confusion about our next steps. My son had pre-board examinations approaching and needed to reach his school urgently," Panghal explained.

With his son's exams set to begin on December 8 and faced with limited alternatives, Panghal made the remarkable decision to drive the entire distance to Indore. He drove through the night, covering approximately 800 kilometers to reach his son's school by morning. "The journey was complicated by incomplete road construction, but we successfully arrived at the school by 7 am," Panghal recounted.

Regarding compensation, Panghal believes that airlines should provide reimbursement beyond just the basic airfare for cancelled flights, suggesting it should be comparable to the surge pricing implemented during such crises. "Additionally, the expenses families incur traveling to and from airports should be included in compensation packages," he added.

IndiGo had cancelled numerous flights during this period due to inadequate planning for stricter safety regulations, with cancellations reaching their peak on December 5 before gradually decreasing. On Tuesday, the airline announced that its operations had stabilized and returned to normal service levels.