Skyrocketing Airfares as IndiGo Flight Cancellations Disrupt Travel Nationwide

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, continues to face a major operational crisis, leading to more than 550 domestic and international flight cancellations on Thursday alone. The sudden cancellations left thousands of passengers stranded at airports, resulting in heated exchanges with staff at several locations.

With a large number of flights grounded, airfares have skyrocketed across major routes. Shockingly, a Delhi–New York ticket was priced at around ₹36,668, while a Delhi–Mumbai ticket on the same day touched ₹40,452. Routes that normally cost ₹6,000–10,000 are now priced between ₹22,000 and ₹30,000.

The crisis is largely attributed to new DGCA regulations mandating longer rest periods for pilots and crew. IndiGo, which depends heavily on night operations, struggled to restructure schedules in time, leading to acute staff shortages. Pilot associations have also criticized the airline for failing to prepare despite being given sufficient time.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stated that operational challenges, technical issues, weather conditions, and new duty norms collectively disrupted services. He assured that efforts were underway to restore normal operations.

Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu reviewed the situation, directing IndiGo to resolve issues immediately and avoid burdening passengers with excessive airfares. He also instructed that stranded passengers be provided food and accommodation wherever required.