Chennai, 8 Dec

Kate flew from Brisbane, dreaming of watching her son Fahy Noah represent Australia at the Junior Hockey World Cup, and of finally seeing the Taj Mahal.

But those plans, like those of many visiting families and fans, have been disrupted by the ongoing travel chaos triggered by IndiGo’s operational crisis.

“I am here for the first time, and India is so kind and welcoming. We wanted to see the Taj Mahal, but with the IndiGo problems, we are scared now,” she told PTI outside the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium.

“One family went on a rest day and got stuck overnight. We will have to cancel everything.”

This edition of the Junior Hockey World Cup, held across Chennai and Madurai from 28 November to 10 December, features a record 24 teams. For most families, it is their first trip to India. Many NRIs have also flown in to cheer the Indian team.

But the widespread flight delays and cancellations have forced major last-minute adjustments. IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights last week after a regulatory change in pilots’ flight duty norms, leaving lakhs of passengers stranded at airports nationwide.

Laura, who travelled from Belgium with her family, said they were now avoiding domestic flights completely.

“We went to Munnar and Madurai, and now we are going to Puducherry and Mahabalipuram by road. Some families were stuck and had to return by train. So road travel only now,” she said.

For 87-year-old Kenyan hockey great Avtar Singh Sohal, a four-time Olympian, the disruption was especially taxing.

He endured a 12-hour delay at Chandigarh airport on 4 December before reaching Chennai just in time for the quarterfinals.

“They kept saying the aircraft hadn’t arrived, the pilot wasn’t available. We had no idea what was happening,” he recalled.

Travelling with him was 85-year-old Tarlok Singh Mandair, former treasurer of the English Hockey Association.

“It was horrible. They kept changing timings, and the sandwiches were not even good,” he said. Their return trip is booked on IndiGo, but they are now searching for alternatives.

Jujhar Singh Plaha, 86, from London, added: “We were excited about this trip, hockey is our first love. But now we are anxious. At our age, we cannot travel long distances by road or train.”

Jason, father of Australian player Roger Lachlan, arrived amid the heavy rains caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

“With the delays and stories we are hearing, we are cancelling sightseeing. Just food, rest and back home,” he joked, adding he had developed a fondness for masala dosa and masala tea.

Many Indian fans have also had to improvise. A group from Bengaluru cancelled their flight bookings and drove to Chennai for the semifinals.

“We didn’t want to take a chance,” said Vinod Chinnappa.

Even officials have been caught in the chaos. Digvijay Singh, from a Hockey India League franchise, waited eight hours in Patna to catch a flight to Chennai.

“I finished all episodes of Family Man at the lounge,” he said.

With the World Cup concluding in two days, the bigger worry now is how everyone will get home.

Sky-high fares, packed trains and constant rescheduling have left many tracking travel apps as closely as they track match scores.