Bal Thackeray critical

Mumbai, November 15: The ailing Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray’s health deteriorated on Wednesday night. Doctors from Lilavati Hospital were attending on him at his residence ‘Matoshree’ at Bandra here, while huge crowds of supporters gathered outside.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray and his family and top party leaders rushed to ‘Matoshree’ as news spread of Mr. Thackeray’s worsening health.

Mr. Bal Thackeray is reported to be suffering from lung and pancreatic ailments.

In the last two weeks, his health has taken a turn for the worse.

Police bandobust has been increased outside ‘Matoshree’. The media came under attack from Sena supporters who targeted some OB vans. No one from the Sena or doctors were available for an official statement on Mr. Bal Thackeray’s condition. His son and heir Uddhav Thackeray sent an appeal to Sena supporters to keep calm.

Mr. Thackeray, 86, suffered breathlessness and was often on oxygen support at home.

Let’s pray, says Uddhav

“We are hopeful. You be hopeful.Let’s pray.”

This is what Mr. Uddhav Thackeray said to people who assembled outside Matoshree late midnight.

“Bal saheb has strong will power. We’ll come out from the problem. Don’t trust rumours. Make peace,” Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, accompanied by son Aditya, said.

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Chaos continues as IndiGo cancels more flights including 73 from Bengaluru airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled over 180 flights from three major airports — Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru — on Thursday, December 4, as the airline struggles to secure the required crew to operate its flights in the wake of new flight-duty and rest-period norms for pilots.

While the number of cancellations at Mumbai airport stands at 86 (41 arrivals and 45 departures) for the day, at Bengaluru, 73 flights have been cancelled, including 41 arrivals, according to a PTI report that quoted sources.

"IndiGo cancelled over 180 flights on Thursday at three airports-Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru," the source told the news agency.

Besides, it had cancelled as many as 33 flights at Delhi airport for Thursday, the source said, adding, "The number of cancellations is expected to be higher by the end of the day."

The Gurugram-based airline's On-Time Performance (OTP) nosedived to 19.7 per cent at six key airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad — on December 3, as it struggled to get the required crew to operate its services, down from almost half of December 2, when it was 35 per cent.

"IndiGo has been facing acute crew shortage since the implementation of the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations) norms, leading to cancellations and huge delays in its operations across the airports," a source had told PTI on Wednesday.

Chaos continued at several major airports for the third day on Thursday because of the cancellations.

A spokesperson for the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru said that 73 IndiGo flights had been cancelled on Thursday.

At least 150 flights were cancelled and dozens of others delayed on Wednesday, airport sources said, leaving thousands of travellers stranded, according to news agency Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has said it is investigating IndiGo flight disruptions and has asked the airline to submit the reasons for the current situation, as well as its plans to reduce flight cancellations and delays.

It may be mentioned here that the pilots' body, Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has alleged that IndiGo, despite getting a two-year preparatory window before the full implementation of new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, "inexplicably" adopted a "hiring freeze".

The FIP said it has urged the safety regulator, the DGCA, not to approve airlines' seasonal flight schedules unless they have adequate staff to operate their services "safely and reliably" in accordance with the New Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms.

In a letter to the DGCA late on Wednesday, the FIP urged the DGCA to consider re-evaluating and reallocating slots to other airlines, which have the capacity to operate them without disruption during the peak holiday and fog season if IndiGo continues to "fail in delivering on its commitments to passengers due to its own avoidable staffing shortages."

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