An unusual wedding reception on Wednesday left guests surprised in Hubli, Karnataka. Instead of the bride and groom, the bride’s parents sat on the stage, while the newlywed couple joined the reception via online video call from Bhubaneswar. The entire situation arose due to the sudden cancellation of an IndiGo flight.
The reception was for Medha Ksheersagar from Hubli and Sangam Das from Bhubaneswar. Both are software engineers based in Bengaluru and had married in Bhubaneswar on November 23. After the wedding, the couple’s families had planned receptions in the bride’s hometown Hubli on December 2 and 3. The family had prepared the Gujarat Bhavan in Hubli for the event.
Couple Booked Flight In December
The couple had booked a flight from Bhubaneswar to Hubli via Bengaluru on December 2, while some relatives booked flights from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai to Hubli. However, the flight scheduled for 9 AM on December 2 was repeatedly delayed and was eventually canceled suddenly between 4–5 AM on December 3.
As a result, Medha and Sangam could not reach Hubli on time. Instead of canceling the reception, the family decided to conduct it online. A screen was set up, and the bride and groom joined the guests via video conference. The bride’s parents sat on stage in their place and welcomed the guests.
Wedding Took Place On November
“The wedding took place on November 23 and everything went well. We had planned the receptions on December 2 and 3 and invited all relatives. Around 4 AM, we learned that the flight had been canceled. We waited and hoped they would reach somehow, but it didn’t happen. It was very sad for us.
Since all the guests had already arrived, we had to manage the event somehow. After discussing with everyone, we set up a screen and conducted the online reception, where the couple appeared via video.”
New Duty-Time Rules Disrupting IndiGo The Most
India’s aviation sector has hit turbulence this week as the full implementation of Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) collided with winter schedules, pilot shortages, and technical snags. Over 300 IndiGo flights were reportedly cancelled in just two days, and on-time performance fell drastically to 35 per cent, leaving passengers stranded at airports from Mumbai to Bengaluru.
The disruption has sparked a national conversation about airline preparedness, scheduling discipline, and the operational fragility of India’s busiest carrier amid surging passenger demand.
Read More | Explained: Why IndiGo Has Been Hit The Hardest By New Flight Duty Time Limitation Rules