'Take your (non) apology, burn it': Bengaluru woman's fury at IndiGo after siblings miss father's funeral

Her post drew a strong reaction from other users, many criticising the growing influence of IndiGo as a near-monopoly.

Manjari Ranasaria, an entrepreneur based in Bengaluru, has publicly blamed IndiGo after claiming the airline’s flight cancellations prevented her siblings and relatives from returning in time to attend the funeral of her father.

In a LinkedIn post responding to the airline’s apology, she wrote: “My father passed yesterday. Most of my siblings and relatives from out of town couldn’t be there. We fielded calls where each one of them was sobbing, feeling helpless for not being able to say farewell and pay their final respects. So, IndiGo, you can take your (non) apology and burn it. And to every system that allowed this to happen, I just want to say that the people of this country deserve better.”

Her post drew a strong reaction from other users, many criticising the growing influence of IndiGo as a near-monopoly. One commenter wrote that “when companies without scruples become monopoly it’s dangerous for civic society.” Another argued an apology was meaningless: “An apology only makes sense when the mistake is truly unintentional. In this case, IndiGo knew what was coming, but they kept taking bookings anyway.”

Others offered condolences and questioned compensation practices: “Maybe they thought they could pressure the government, but it backfired,” one user wrote. Some urged fellow passengers to demand full accountability: “Customers should take IndiGo to court and demand proper compensation.” Another argued that once operations resumed, people should consider boycotting the airline due to its perceived lack of empathy. A separate note of realism was offered: “Even compensation won’t bring your dad back.”

Ranasaria is not alone; over the past several days, IndiGo has cancelledor delayed a large number of flights, prompting widespread complaints, stranded passengers and mounting public pressure. The crisis—triggered by a mix of crew-roster changes, regulatory adjustments and reported pilot shortages — forced the airline to suspend services from major airports, with delays extending well into the night. Terminals were reportedly crowded as travellers sought alternate arrangements, and many domestic and international connections were missed.

The extent of the disruption has sparked debate over whether the airline should compensate passengers for consequential losses — including missed funerals, weddings and business commitments. Legal experts say that under Indian consumer-protection laws, travellers may have recourse if the airline is found negligent, though success typically depends on documentation of losses such as non-refundable tickets, accommodation costs, or missed events.

The civil aviation ministry on Saturday instructed IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds without delay. In its statement, the ministry said that all refunds for cancelled or disrupted flights must be fully processed by 8 pm on Sunday, December 7.

“Airlines have also been directed not to impose rescheduling fees on passengers whose travel was affected by cancellations. Any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will attract immediate regulatory action,” the ministry added.