IndiGo Passengers Stranded After Domestic Terminal Conveyor Belt Failure Causes

Hundreds of passengers faced major operational disruptions over a weekend. They flew out of the city but did not receive their checked-in luggage. The problem stemmed from glitches in the conveyor belts at the domestic terminal.

Initially, the issue centered on the Portal C baggage belt. This section is where IndiGo operates its check-in services. The snags began Saturday afternoon and lasted until Sunday evening. More than 150 pieces of checked-in luggage were left behind on Saturday. The number was under 100 on Sunday, sources reported.

Operational Breakdown and Mitigation

The affected baggage belts include an in-line X-ray system. The glitches rendered this automated system unusable. Airport staff had to switch to manual luggage X-ray screening. They used three standalone X-ray machines in the domestic section.

Furthermore, the luggage could not move via the belt system. This forced staff to carry the checked-in luggage manually. They moved the bags from the departure level to the basement. From the basement, bags are loaded onto the aircraft. The airport conveyor belt failure caused some flights to be delayed.

When the Portal C baggage belt stopped, IndiGo check-in operations moved. They were shifted to portals A and B. However, problems soon developed on those belts as well.

Root Cause and Industry Context

Senior airport officials identified the cause as luggage over-accumulation. Too many bags on the belts affected the functioning of sensors. This over-accumulation was linked to earlier North India fog delays. These weather-related delays impacted several flights. This resulted in a large volume of bags needing transfer at the same time.

Airport sources confirmed the checked-in luggage backlog is being cleared. The stranded bags are being sent to their destinations on subsequent flights.

This incident adds to recent challenges for the airline. IndiGo faced a major IndiGo baggage chaos crisis in early December. That crisis saw around 3,500 flights cancelled across its network. The cancellations were largely due to crew shortages. These shortages followed the implementation of new DGCA Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. The government ordered IndiGo to trace and deliver all separated baggage within 48 hours during that time. The airline confirmed all missing luggage from the earlier crisis has been delivered. This current domestic terminal baggage system failure highlights aviation ground handling issues that can cascade quickly. Industry bodies like IATA focus on improving baggage handling efficiency globally. The repeated airline operational disruptions underscore the need for robust airport infrastructure and better planning for weather impacts. Read more commercial aviation news at flying.flights.

• Key Takeaways for Stakeholders:
  • Operational Risk: Reliance on manual processes due to technical failure causes delays.
  • Systemic Vulnerability: Weather delays can quickly overwhelm critical ground infrastructure like baggage belts.
  • Passenger Impact: Hundreds of passengers were separated from their essential checked-in luggage for days.