IndiGo crisis sees teacher stranded at Shillong airport with husband's coffin: 'What do I do?'

Manjari Palit's distress resonated online, with former students expressing shock and sympathy. (Image credit: ANI)

IndiGo’s operational meltdown has sparked outrage after a video surfaced showing a woman stranded at Shillong airport with her husband’s coffin following flight delays and cancellations. The woman, identified by Instagram users as a senior English teacher, Manjuri Palit, from St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School in Shillong, broke down while pleading for assistance.

“I have come all the way from Shillong… my husband passed away, and I have come here to transport the casket all the way to Kolkata to be buried in his hometown," she told news agency ANI. "We booked an IndiGo flight at 7.10 am, and till now we have no information whether the flight is going to take off or not. Now what does a person like me in this situation do?"

Palit explained that she can neither take the coffin back to Shillong or carry it to Kolkata, given the circumstances. "The body is embalmed for 48 hours, which will expire tomorrow at 4 pm. Who is going to take responsibility for it?” she asked.

Her distress resonated online, with former students expressing shock and sympathy. “She was my English teacher in St. Anthony’s. So sorry about your loss and the troubles you faced, Miss,” wrote one user. Another added: “Seeing one of our humble senior teachers of Shillong face this is really heartbreaking.”

IndiGo pledges refunds for cancelled flights

The incident comes as IndiGo grapples with its sixth day of widespread cancellations and delays. In a statement Sunday, the airline said its Board convened immediately after disruptions began and formed a Crisis Management Group (CMG) comprising chairman Vikram Singh Mehta, directors Gregg Saretsky, Mike Whitaker, Amitabh Kant, and CEO Pieter Elbers. The CMG is holding regular meetings and telephonic discussions to restore operations and address passenger hardships.

IndiGo pledged refunds for cancelled flights and waivers on rescheduling.

DGCA issues show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO and COO

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notices to CEO Pieter Elbers and COO Isidro Porqueras, citing “significant lapses in planning, oversight, and resource management.”