Passengers at Goa’s Dabolim International Airport faced chaos and frustration in the early hours of Sunday after an Air India flight to Dubai was abruptly cancelled. The last-minute decision left dozens of international passengers stranded. The Goa–Dubai flight, originally scheduled for Saturday night, was officially cancelled around 1:05 am on Sunday.
The aircraft had earlier been rescheduled to depart at 2:55 am, raising hopes among waiting passengers before being grounded completely due to a reported technical snag. According to airport authorities, the inbound aircraft from Dubai failed to arrive, forcing the cancellation of the outbound leg. The sudden disruption triggered chaos within the terminal. Travellers have increasingly demanded more transparent protocols around cancellations, rerouting, and in-terminal assistance.
Several passengers expressed anger over the lack of timely communication and poor contingency planning, particularly as some were travelling for urgent international commitments. For hours, there was visible unrest at the departure lounge, as airline staff attempted to calm tempers and issue clarifications. Officials later confirmed that around 35 affected passengers were accommodated on an alternate Air India service on Sunday.
The airline has also assured the remaining stranded travellers will be adjusted on the next available flight scheduled for Monday. Refunds were processed for those who opted out of rescheduled journeys. While such operational glitches are not uncommon, experts note that last-minute cancellations on international sectors — especially during peak travel periods — expose deep gaps in logistical preparedness, communication protocols, and customer support systems.
With more tier-2 cities like Goa serving as international gateways, infrastructural and operational resilience becomes critical to maintaining passenger confidence and global reputation. Airlines operating international routes from tourist-heavy states like Goa are also being urged to improve crisis response planning, especially when dealing with delays or technical issues.
The Dabolim Airport’s handling of the incident came under scrutiny as well, as passengers cited limited information, absence of support counters, and a lack of multilingual assistance, particularly for non-Indian travellers. As air traffic from Goa grows, fuelled by tourism and international business travel, the need for robust backup planning and responsive passenger care cannot be overstated.
