IndiGo Flight Cancellations Trigger Soaring Airfares Across Major Routes

IndiGo's recent decision to cancel all domestic flights from Delhi Airport until midnight has led to a dramatic increase in airfares across major routes in India. With over 220 flights grounded in Delhi alone, passengers are facing long queues and significant delays. The airline attributes these disruptions to new regulations affecting pilot duty times, which have resulted in crew shortages. As a result, ticket prices have surged, with some flights reaching exorbitant rates. This situation has left thousands of travelers stranded and scrambling for alternatives.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 5, 2025, 14:51 IST

Significant Surge in Airfares Following IndiGo Cancellations

New Delhi: On Friday, airfares on numerous key routes skyrocketed after IndiGo announced the cancellation of all its domestic flights from Delhi Airport until midnight.

This abrupt halt in operations resulted in a significant seat shortage, causing a dramatic increase in last-minute ticket prices nationwide.

The Delhi Airport confirmed the cancellations via its official X account, stating that all IndiGo flights scheduled for December 5 would be grounded until 11:59 p.m.

Operations for other airlines, however, continued as normal, and passengers were advised to verify their flight statuses before arriving at the airport.

The market response was immediate, with an Air India one-stop flight from Delhi to Bengaluru for Friday night surging to an astonishing Rs 1.02 lakh, while Akasa Air offered the same route for approximately Rs 39,000.

Fares for the Delhi–Mumbai route on Air India reached Rs 60,000, and on the Chennai–Delhi route, Air India Express tickets peaked at Rs 41,000, with SpiceJet charging as much as Rs 69,000.

Routes from Hyderabad also experienced steep fare increases, with a one-stop Air India flight from Hyderabad to Delhi climbing to Rs 87,000.

Hyderabad–Mumbai fares soared to Rs 76,500, and tickets from Hyderabad to Bengaluru on Air India rose to Rs 41,400, while Air India Express listed the same route at Rs 36,100.

The impact of these cancellations extended well beyond Delhi, with over 220 IndiGo flights cancelled in the capital alone, more than 100 in Bengaluru, and nearly 90 in Hyderabad.

This situation has resulted in long lines at airports, significant delays, and thousands of passengers left stranded.

IndiGo has been facing ongoing challenges with widespread cancellations for several days. The airline attributed these disruptions to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) regulations for pilots, which have led to crew shortages and scheduling issues.

While these regulations aim to enhance safety by reducing fatigue, IndiGo acknowledged that it miscalculated the crew requirements under the new guidelines.

In November, the airline had already reported over 1,200 cancellations across its network.

On Thursday alone, more than 500 flights were cancelled nationwide, marking one of the most severe operational disruptions for the carrier in recent years.