Bhubaneswar: A software engineer couple from Bhubaneswar and Hubbali, Karnataka, were forced to join their own wedding reception virtually after a nationwide disruption in IndiGo’s flight operations left them stranded hundreds of kilometres away from the venue.

The reception for Medha Kshirsagar of Hubballi and Sangam Das of Bhubaneswar was scheduled on December 3 at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi. The venue was ready, guests had started arriving, and arrangements were in place, but the newlyweds could not make it in person due to repeated flight delays and eventual cancellations.

The couple, both working in Bengaluru, had booked tickets on the Bhubaneswar–Bengaluru–Hubballi route for December 2. Some of their relatives took the Bhubaneswar–Mumbai–Hubballi route. However, IndiGo’s operational troubles caused continuous delays from the morning of December 2, stretching into the early hours of December 3, before the flights were fully cancelled.

Determined not to disappoint guests, Medha and Sangam appeared on a large screen from Bhubaneswar, greeting relatives and friends through video conferencing and expressing regret for their absence.

Family members criticise disruption in flight services

Bride’s father, Anil Kumar Ksheerasagar, said the family had no choice but to improvise after the flight was cancelled around 4 am. He quickly arranged a screen at the venue and asked the couple to join online.

He criticised the disruption in air services and urged the central government to intervene. He said passengers rely on flights during emergencies and deserve reliable services, adding that taxpayers should not be made to suffer.

Guests had travelled from several cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bagalkote, Davangere and Belagavi, leaving the family under pressure to manage the situation. Ksheerasagar said the situation left him anxious, but switching to an online reception ensured the celebrations continued despite the setback.

Although the couple attended from afar, dressed up for their big day in Bhubaneswar, their parents represented them at the venue.