India, Dec. 6 -- Chaos swept through Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday as IndiGo cancelled all its domestic departures from Delhi till midnight, worsening a nationwide aviation crisis. The cancellations of over 1,000 flights across India stem from what officials describe as a severe and unanticipated pilot shortage.

By afternoon, the airport terminals were overflowing. Families slept on the floor, passengers huddled around charging points, and loud arguments erupted near nearly vacant IndiGo counters. Piles of unclaimed baggage filled long stretches of the terminal, with confused travellers wandering between rows of suitcases looking for their belongings.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government expects In...