Goa, Dec. 5 -- Airports across India witnessed scenes of chaos and frustration as IndiGo grappled with a massive operational breakdown that resulted in the cancellation of over 500 flights on Monday. Thousands of passengers were left stranded for more than 12 hours, many without access to food, water, or their checked-in luggage, while airline counters remained largely unattended.

Stranded flyers described the ordeal as "mental torture", alleging complete lack of communication from the airline. One passenger, who had been waiting for over half a day, said he received repeated assurances of one- or two-hour delays, only to face further uncertainty. "We were travelling for a wedding, but we didn't even have our luggage. IndiGo staff is not...