Guwahati: A wedding reception in Karnataka turned unusual when a newlywed couple had to participate via video call after being stranded in Bhubaneswar due to multiple IndiGo flight cancellations.
The event took place in Hubballi, where Medha Kshirsagar and Sangama Das were scheduled to celebrate their marriage with family and friends.
The couple, both software engineers based in Bengaluru, had married in Bhubaneswar on November 23.
Their formal reception in the bride’s hometown at Gujarat Bhavan was planned for December 3, but travel disruptions upended the arrangements.
Flights booked from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru and then to Hubballi on December 2 experienced repeated delays, starting from 9 am Tuesday and continuing until early Wednesday morning.
By December 3, the flight was officially cancelled.
Several relatives travelling via Bhubaneswar-Mumbai-Hubballi experienced similar cancellations and were unable to attend.
With the venue ready, decorations in place, and guests waiting, the bride’s parents chose not to cancel the event. They sat in the seats meant for the couple and performed the rituals on their behalf.
Meanwhile, Medha and Sangama, dressed for the occasion, joined the reception through a live video call, which was displayed on a large screen at the venue.
“The wedding took place on November 23, and we had planned the reception for December 3. But suddenly, at 4 am, the flight was cancelled. We were still hopeful that they might make it, but they couldn’t,” the bride’s mother told NDTV.
“We felt very bad that 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 incident has attracted widespread attention online, with many criticizing IndiGo. One user wrote, “Congratulations to the couple! But at the same time such pathetic and obnoxious customer service by IndiGo.” Another commented, “Reaching on the same day at your own reception. What a plan.”
Others highlighted logistical challenges, with one noting, “You don’t plan with such short timelines without buffers, especially in India. You have Vande Bharat, which reaches in 6 hours from Pune, Bangalore.” Another remarked, “new age solutions……for the growing incompetence in the country.”
IndiGo has cancelled hundreds of flights this week due to staff shortages under new government duty rules, affecting major airports and stranding thousands.
Over 500 flights on December 4 alone were cancelled, the highest in the airline’s 20-year history.
IndiGo informed the DGCA that it expects operations to stabilise by February 10, 2026, citing “misjudgment and planning gaps” in implementing the second phase of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.
Further cancellations and temporary service reductions are expected until December 8.