Passengers already dealing with IndiGo’s massive wave of cancellations are now running into another problem: domestic airfares have jumped to shocking highs.
On Friday, more than 700 IndiGo flights were cancelled across major airports, leaving thousands stranded with very few alternatives. With limited flights operating and last-minute seats disappearing fast, many travellers have no option but to pay steep prices on other airlines if they want to reach their destinations.
The crisis began after IndiGo was hit by a severe shortage of pilots and crew, triggered by the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules that require longer rest hours for staff. The airline has acknowledged that it “misjudged” how many pilots it needed under the revised norms, a planning gap that snowballed into nationwide disruption.
Although the DGCA has now rolled back its instructions to all flight operators, including IndiGo, the situation on the ground hasn’t improved much yet. Flights remain scarce, fares remain high, and the chaos is expected to keep spilling over for some time.
Flights to Europe cheaper than Delhi–Kolkata
The sudden spike in demand has set off a chain reaction across booking platforms, sending domestic airfares soaring, sometimes doubling or even tripling within hours. For many citizens, flying is already a luxury, and the current surge has pushed it even further out of reach.
IndiGo, which operates over 60 per cent of India’s domestic aviation market with nearly 2,300 flights daily, has seen its disruption push prices to extreme highs as alternative options remain limited.
Between Delhi and Mumbai, one of the busiest air corridors in the world, return tickets in economy are now touching nearly Rs 60,000. On a normal day, even a last-minute booking would cost roughly one-third of that, around Rs 20,000. A one-way ticket alone is close to Rs 35,000.
Riya Sharma, a 21-year-old student travelling from Mumbai to Delhi, is stuck in limbo after her IndiGo flight was cancelled.
“I tried checking other airlines after my IndiGo flight was cancelled, but the fares from Mumbai to Delhi are impossible right now. Today’s only available seat was showing over Rs 50,000, and even for tomorrow, the starting price is around Rs 25,000. I can’t book any of that when my IndiGo refund hasn’t even come. My money is stuck, and the prices are too high. I have no way to travel,” he told The Indian Express.
On Friday, Delhi–Bengaluru fares ranged from Rs 11,000 to Rs 43,145, while Mumbai–Kolkata prices touched Rs 19,000.
Shockingly, flying abroad is turning out to be cheaper. A Delhi–Dubai ticket costs around Rs 23,000, and Bengaluru–Dubai fares were available for as low as Rs 8,000.
Meanwhile, Delhi–Kolkata one-way tickets are hovering near Rs 32,000. A round trip for tomorrow has shot up to Rs 85,000, more expensive than travelling to Europe.
The lowest Delhi–London fares are currently around Rs 25,000, and Delhi–Paris prices are also quoting under Rs 25,000. A round trip to either European city is still cheaper than many domestic routes, costing under Rs 60,000.
These fares are fluctuating by the minute as demand continues to spike.
To make matters worse, no flights are available today between Delhi and several key cities, including Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Lucknow. Those trying to fly to Hyderabad tomorrow will need to shell out over Rs 48,000 for an economy seat that typically costs under Rs 7,000.
Fares on the Mumbai–Srinagar route, usually below Rs 10,000, have shot up to at least Rs 62,000. And that’s just one way. A next-day return pushes the total to over Rs 92,000.
IndiGo to cut more flights; people demand CEO’s resignation
IndiGo has warned that cancellations will continue for the next two to three days as part of its efforts to stabilise schedules. Starting December 8, the airline will reduce the number of flights it operates to prevent further chaos.
CEO Pieter Elbers told employees that restoring punctuality and normal operations will not be an “easy target”.
As per PTI, Delhi alone saw about 220 cancellations, followed by 118 in Mumbai, 100 in Bengaluru, 75 in Hyderabad, 35 in Kolkata, 26 in Chennai and 11 in Goa. Disruptions were also reported in Bhopal and other cities.
At airports across the country, passengers say they’ve been stuck for hours, in some cases overnight, waiting for flights, without food and missing luggage, that are either endlessly delayed or cancelled without warning.
Meanwhile, on Reddit, one user demanded that the CEO and senior leadership resign, blaming them for passengers’ “stress, losses, agony”.
“What an absolute sh*t show Indigo has been pulling over the last few days! Passengers have missed onward international connections, own weddings, funerals, deals – perhaps cumulatively, Indigo would be solely responsible for hundreds – if not thousands – of crores lost due to flight delays,” the user wrote.
They added that the “arrogance, rudeness and dogmatism” of the airline’s staff and management had “come to bite them”, and claimed the airline had long ignored customer feedback and government directives.
DGCA to monitor price surges
The Civil Aviation Minister has asked the DGCA to keep a close watch on airfares to ensure airlines don’t exploit the ongoing crisis.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu reviewed the situation with senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and IndiGo’s top management, urging the airline and all aviation bodies to take immediate steps to help passengers and restore stability.
The Ministry is keeping a “close watch” on developments, according to a DGCA statement cited by ANI.
The Minister also held a meeting with senior officers of the Airports Authority of India and instructed them to alert all airport directors to continuously monitor the situation and support stranded passengers.
He further directed the DGCA to closely track airfares during the ongoing disruptions and cancellations, according to the statement.
With input from agencies
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