Hubballi/Bhubaneswar, December 3: In an unusual turn of events, a newly-married couple was forced to attend their own wedding reception online after IndiGo cancelled their flights, leaving them stranded more than 1,000 kilometres away from the venue.
The couple, who tied the knot on November 23 in Bhubaneswar, had scheduled their wedding reception for December 3 at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi, Karnataka. With the hall decorated and guests already arriving, the couple began their journey on December 2, booking a Bhubaneswar–Bengaluru–Hubballi connection on IndiGo.
However, a series of delays followed by complete flight cancellations disrupted their travel. The cancellations came amid IndiGo’s nationwide operational crisis, driven by a severe pilot shortage and revised duty-hour regulations that have resulted in the airline grounding hundreds of flights over the past week.
Unable to find an alternative flight at short notice, the couple remained stuck in Bhubaneswar. The families, with no option to postpone the event, decided to proceed with the reception as planned.
At the venue, the bride’s parents stood in for the couple on stage to ensure the ceremonies continued. Meanwhile, the newlyweds dressed for the occasion and joined the gathering virtually. A large LED screen was set up at the reception hall, allowing guests to speak with them, offer blessings, and take photographs with their projected image.
The incident is one among hundreds of travel disruptions reported across the country as IndiGo struggles to stabilise its operations. Passengers travelling for weddings, medical emergencies, and business commitments have been among the worst affected.
For the couple, what should have been a joyous celebration became a digital workaround — a reminder of how India’s aviation turbulence is impacting even life’s most personal milestones.
