IndiGo Flight Cancellation: Techie Couple Attends Own Reception Online

An unusual scene unfolded in Karnataka's Hubballi when a newlywed couple was forced to join their own reception virtually after widespread IndiGo flight cancellations disrupted their travel plans.

The reception for Medha Kshirsagar of Hubballi and Sangama Das of Bhubaneswar in Odisha — both Bengaluru-based software engineers — was scheduled at Gujarat Bhavan in Hubballi.

The pair tied the knot in Bhubaneswar on November 23, with a formal reception planned in the bride's hometown on Wednesday.

However, things took an unexpected turn when IndiGo cancelled several flights due to an ongoing nationwide pilot shortage.

The couple, who had booked tickets from Bhubaneswar to Bengaluru and then onward to Hubballi for December 2, were left stranded after their flights were repeatedly delayed from 9 AM on Tuesday until early the next morning. The flight was finally cancelled on December 3.

Several relatives flying via the Bhubaneswar–Mumbai–Hubballi route also faced cancellations.

With guests already present and preparations complete, the bride's parents stepped in, occupying the couple's seats to perform the rituals.

Dressed for the occasion in Bhubaneswar, the bride and groom joined the event through video conferencing.

“The wedding was on November 23, and we had planned the reception for December 3. But at around 4 am, we learned the flight was cancelled. We still hoped they could make it, but they couldn't,” said the bride's mother.

“We felt awful because we had invited so many relatives, and cancelling the event was impossible. So, as a family, we decided the couple would attend the reception online, and we broadcast their participation on the screen,” she added.

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