Weddings already come with enough stress. But for one Bengaluru-based couple, the chaos didn’t come from family drama — it came from IndiGo. Hours before their wedding reception in Hubballi, their flight was delayed, delayed again, and then abruptly cancelled. Hundreds of guests were already waiting. The venue was ready. The food was prepared. And the bride and groom were stuck in another city.
What followed was a situation no couple imagines — attending their own reception through a screen.
Medha Kshirsagar and Sangama Das had their wedding reception scheduled for December 3 in Hubballi. But wait, IndiGo had no plans for them. We guess.
The Wedding That Went Digital
IndiGo flight cancellations left a newlywed couple stranded — forcing the bride’s parents to sit on the reception stage in their place! Medha & Sangama joined their own reception in Hubballi #Karnataka virtually from Bhubaneswar, all dressed up, greeting guests over video call.… pic.twitter.com/0ZZBNKm3Pf
— Ashish (@KP_Aashish) December 5, 2025
Medha from Hubballi and Sangama from Bhubaneswar work as software engineers in Bengaluru. They got married in Bhubaneswar on November 23. The next big event was their reception in the bride’s hometown.
They booked tickets from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru, and then to Hubballi for December 2. Simple enough, right? Wrong.
Parents Step In, Couple Logs In
The flight was supposed to leave at 9 AM on Tuesday. It got delayed, and delayed again. The delay went on through the night into early morning on Wednesday. Then, at 4 AM on December 3, reception day, IndiGo cancelled it.
It wasn’t just their flight. Several relatives travelling via Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Hubballi also got stranded.
The venue was ready. The guests had arrived. The food was prepared. Cancelling wasn’t an option.
“The wedding took place on November 23, and we had planned the reception for 3. But suddenly at 4 AM, the flight was cancelled. We were still hopeful that they might make it, but they couldn’t,” said the bride’s mother.
So the family made a quick decision. The couple would attend their own reception online.
“We felt very bad. We had invited so many relatives, and it was impossible to cancel the event at the last minute. So, after discussing as a family, we decided to have the couple attend the reception online and broadcast their participation on the screen,” she added.
The bride and groom got dressed in their reception outfits in Bhubaneswar. Meanwhile, in Hubballi, their parents sat in the seats meant for them and performed the rituals. The couple appeared on a large screen, greeting guests via video call.
Think about that for a second. You are at a wedding reception, but the bride and groom are on Zoom.
IndiGo’s Massive Mess
This couple’s story is just one of thousands of passengers affected by IndiGo’s operational failure this week. IndiGo runs about 2,200 flights daily across India. On Thursday, they cancelled over 500 flights — the most in their 20-year history.
Cities affected include Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Basically, if you had an IndiGo flight this week, you probably had problems.
What Went Wrong?
IndiGo admitted to DGCA that they messed up. The airline failed to properly adjust roster planning for the new government flight duty time limitations norms. These rules are meant to prevent pilot fatigue.
IndiGo told DGCA that cancellations will continue until December 8. After that, they will reduce services. Stabilisation? Not until February 10, 2025.
Statistics tell one story. Real life tells another.
This wasn’t just a cancelled flight. It was the bride who couldn’t hug her relatives. A groom who couldn’t meet his in-laws properly. Parents performing rituals meant for their children.
Sure, video calling saved the day somewhat. But nobody dreams of attending their own reception through a screen.
What Does IndiGo Say?
The airline acknowledged its mistake to DGCA. They are asking for temporary relaxation in flight duty limitations, promising that things will get better by February. But for passengers travelling in December and January, that’s cold comfort.
Medha and Sangama tried to smile through their virtual reception. Their families adjusted. Technology stepped in. But none of this should have been necessary. IndiGo’s operational collapse didn’t just ruin travel plans — it disrupted a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
When one airline controls so much of India’s skies, even one bad week can turn into a national crisis. Weddings, emergencies, jobs, reunions — life doesn’t pause because an airline failed to plan. The couple made the best of a painful situation. The question now is: will the aviation system learn from it?
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