Travel Disruption Strikes India as SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Air India, Qatar Airways, and More Airlines Cancel a Dozen New Flights, Impacting Routes to Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Doha, Hong Kong, and More

Published on December 18, 2025

Air travel across the country faced renewed pressure this week as India flight cancellations affected operations at several major airports. In total, 12 departures were cancelled across six key hubs, disrupting travel plans on both domestic and international networks. The affected destinations included Varanasi, Mumbai, Port Blair, Doha, Ayodhya, Kolkata, New Delhi, and Hong Kong, highlighting how the disruptions stretched from short-haul domestic routes to long-haul international services.

The cancellations were reported at Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, suggesting broader operational challenges rather than a single localized issue.

Ahmedabad: Repeated Cancellations on Key Routes

At Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, multiple services were withdrawn from the schedule, including repeat cancellations on the same route. These Ahmedabad airport cancelled flights had a direct impact on passengers traveling for religious and business purposes.

Cancelled departures from Ahmedabad were:

• SEJ441 (Boeing 737-800) to Varanasi on Thursday at 7:15 PM IST
• SEJ441 (Boeing 737-800) to Varanasi again on Friday at 7:00 PM IST
• AKJ1102 (Boeing 737 MAX 8) to Mumbai on Thursday at 10:05 AM IST

The cancellation of the Varanasi service on consecutive days significantly disrupted travel to one of India’s busiest pilgrimage destinations.

Kolkata: Mainland and Island Connectivity Affected

In eastern India, Kolkata flight cancellations impacted both metro connectivity and island-bound travel. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport recorded two cancellations involving early-morning and mid-day departures.

Affected flights from Kolkata included:

• SEJ488 (Boeing 737-800) to Port Blair on Thursday at 1:10 PM IST
• SEJ666 (Boeing 737-800) to Mumbai on Thursday at 5:20 AM IST

The Port Blair cancellation reduced already limited connections to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while the Mumbai flight disruption affected same-day intercity travel.

Chennai: Pressure on a High-Demand Metro Route

Chennai International Airport saw a setback on a major domestic corridor when SEJ647, a Boeing 737-800 service to Mumbai scheduled for Wednesday at 8:45 AM IST, was cancelled. Even a single cancellation on this route can strain seat availability due to consistently high demand.

Hyderabad: International Departure Scrapped

At Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, an international service was pulled from the schedule. QTR8651, operated using a Boeing 777-200 and scheduled to depart for Doha at 9:05 AM IST on Wednesday, did not operate. This cancellation affected passengers relying on onward global connections, underscoring the scale of Domestic and international route disruptions.

Mumbai: Multiple Routes Cancelled

Mumbai flight cancellations were the most extensive among all airports listed. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport recorded cancellations across religious, inter-metro, and trunk routes.

Cancelled departures from Mumbai included:

• SEJ443 (Boeing 737-800) to Ayodhya on Thursday at 12:25 PM IST
• SEJ488 (Boeing 737-800) to Kolkata on Thursday at 9:35 AM IST
• AIC866 (Boeing 777-300ER) to New Delhi on Tuesday at 5:10 AM IST
• SEJ661 (Boeing 737-800) to New Delhi on Thursday at 6:45 AM IST

The cancellation of two Mumbai–Delhi flights further tightened capacity on one of India’s busiest air routes.

New Delhi: Long-Haul Flight Cancelled

Indira Gandhi International Airport reported a long-haul cancellation involving CPA694, an Airbus A350-900 service to Hong Kong scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 AM IST. This Delhi international flight disruption affected overnight travelers and those connecting onward through East Asia.

Summary Table of All Cancellations

Impact on Passengers and Network Stability

Across all regions, India flight cancellations revealed a clear pattern. Most domestic disruptions involved Boeing 737-800 aircraft, while widebody aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 accounted for fewer but higher-impact international cancellations. The spread of cancellations across multiple days and airports points to wider operational pressures rather than isolated incidents.

For travelers, these disruptions translated into missed connections, rebooking challenges, and reduced seat availability on already busy routes. Pilgrimage travel, metro-to-metro business trips, and long-haul international journeys were all affected. As airlines work to stabilize schedules, the latest round of India flight cancellations underscores how quickly network reliability can be tested when multiple hubs face strain at the same time.