The winter wedding season in Bihar has taken a heartbreaking turn for hundreds of newlywed couples whose long-awaited honeymoons collapsed overnight due to repeated IndiGo flight cancellations. What should have been a season of celebration has instead become one of stress, financial loss and shattered dreams.

‘IndiGo ruined everything’: Couples left stranded

For Lata and Anand, who married on December 1, the disappointment still feels fresh. They spent over ₹1 lakh on bookings for their December 5 trip — flights, hotels, sightseeing — only for their flight to be cancelled without notice. Their second attempt on December 7 met the same fate.

“We planned everything… now nothing is refundable,” Lata said, holding back tears.
“This pain isn’t just ours,” Anand added. “Around 650 couples across Bihar are suffering.”

Daily cancellations bring chaos to Bihar airports

IndiGo continues to cancel flights from Patna, Darbhanga, Purnia and Gaya, with nearly 28 flights scrapped daily. Long queues stretch outside Patna airport as confused passengers run between counters and travel agents, hoping for alternatives that rarely emerge.

‘We planned for six months’: Dreams disrupted

With only a limited leave window after her wedding, Lata said the cancellation left them with no option. “My entire leave is exhausted. Our honeymoon just dissolved in front of us.”

Anand said he had saved leave for six months to make the trip possible. “If there were issues, IndiGo should have informed us earlier.”

Prince Kumar, who married on November 23, echoed the sentiment. His honeymoon to Goa collapsed due to last-minute cancellations. “We got no notification. Everything is stuck.”

₹90,000 honeymoon package gone

Sonal, married on December 1, had planned her Port Blair honeymoon for December 5. The cancellation blocked her ₹90,000 package.
“We planned for half a year. Everything vanished in a day,” she said.

Travel agencies report massive losses

Local travel firms are also reeling.

  • Suvidha Tours and Travels cancelled 25 packages across Kerala, Dubai, Singapore, Bali and Port Blair.
  • RPS Travels reported losing ₹25 lakh, with 20 out of 40 honeymoon packages cancelled.

Many hotels abroad are refusing refunds, worsening the financial impact on agencies and couples. Even pre-booked experiences like Burj Khalifa tickets (₹4,000 each) are not being reimbursed.

Peak season collapses

Between December 5 and 20, Bihar sees a surge in travel demand due to honeymoons and year-end holidays. Destinations like Kerala, Manali, Gangtok and Port Blair are especially popular.

Patna has over 100 travel agencies, and this season alone more than 2,000 tour packages have been cancelled — including over 650 honeymoon trips.

Most packages range from ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh, representing months of saving for many families.

For these newlyweds, honeymoons are not just vacations — they are the first memories of a shared life.
This year, those memories remain postponed, trapped in an airline crisis with no clear end in sight