IndiGo flight from Istanbul to Mumbai delayed for 15 hours, airline apologises for inconvenience

The aircraft took off after the huge delay

Passengers of Indigo Flight 6E18 (Istanbul to Mumbai) was delayed leaving passengers stranded at Istanbul Airport for over 15 hours, sources said.

The passengers were informed of a technical difficulty for the flight getting delayed, sources added.

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"Due to technical issues, IndiGo flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Istanbul experienced delays. This led to cascading delays in the return sectors. All necessary steps were taken to ensure customers were apprised, and they were provided with refreshments and accommodation, where possible. We regret the inconvenience caused to customers and appreciate their understanding and patience," an official statement from IndiGo airlines stated.

The aircraft finally took off after the huge delay.

Arshan Kawasia, relative of a passenger on the flight currently stationed in Istanbul informed midday over phone, "The passengers are stranded in Istanbul for over 16 hours now (as of 1:25 PM IST). They have just started the boarding process and the flight is expected to take off around 12:15 Istanbul time (2:45 PM IST). approximately 400 passengers are stranded here." He also shared a photograph of the stranded passengers at Istanbul Airport.

According to an another passenger, "the airline informed us that there is a technical issue with the aircraft which is why the flight has been delayed."

The aircraft in question is a twin jet Boeing 777-300ER (B77W).

Anand Chandrashekhar, a passenger stranded at Istanbul posted on x, "IndiGO 6E18 from Istanbul to Mumbai isn't just a flight, it's a life lesson in patience, endurance and questioning all your life choices. Guess they're waiting for the Wright Brothers to come personally and fix the plane #6EternalSuffering."

Later replying to the same post, the passenger also posted another sarcastic comment stating, "Breaking News: IndiGO 6E18 from Istanbul to Mumbai has officially been promoted to a staycation package. Who needs a flight when you can enjoy 2 days of waiting lounge vibes? 6E18 Istanbul to Mumbai has achieved a new milestone: redefining ‘non-stop flight' as ‘non-start flight. Guess they really want the passengers to experience Istanbul's Hospitality. #6EternalDelay."

Before boarding the flight, Anand Chandrashekar again posted a sarcastic update which started, "IndiGO 6E18 from Istanbul to Mumbai: Now boarding on IndiGo standard time, where ‘on time' means ‘someday, maybe.' Did you outsource your flight time schedule to a sundial?"

Another passenger Harsh from his X handle posted, "Stuck at IST airport because @IndiGO6E chose to drip feed the delay of flight 6E18 over 15+ hours (3 hours, 11 hours, 2 hours) instead of informing us of the full delay upfront. This staggering of delays is not inconvenient; it is manipulative. Passengers deserve full transparency. And respect! #IndigoDelayTactics #PassengerRights @MoCA_India @PMOIndia @MpRammohannaidu."

According to information received from Istanbul airport sources which was also confirmed by Mumbai ATC sources, the flight took off at around 12:20 PM Istanbul time (2:50 PM IST)

Indigo in its statement issued on Friday said, "We are aware of the delays on the IndiGo flight connections to Istanbul. We accord the highest priority towards customer convenience and our teams are available at all contact points to assist customers. IndiGo apologises for the inconvenience caused to the customers."

Sources from the airline disclosed, "those with a visa were provided hotel accommodation, meanwhile, those without a visa were provided lounge access, food coupons, and other facilities."