Air travelers in India faced significant disruptions on December 5 due to widespread IndiGo flight cancellations, leading to delays, confusion, and soaring ticket prices across the country.
NEW DELHI — Air passengers traveling with IndiGo on December 5 experienced severe inconvenience and distress as widespread flight cancellations resulted in long delays and a sharp increase in ticket prices. The operational crisis, which had been escalating for several days, forced Delhi Airport to announce the cancellation of all IndiGo domestic departures until midnight. This suspension, confirmed by the airport via social media, created an immediate shortage of seats, causing airfares to skyrocket on major routes.
Travelers from various cities, including Pune, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Surat, Nagpur, and Mumbai, reported being stranded at airports, often without clear communication or assistance from the airline. In Pune, one distressed passenger shared, “I have been stuck here since yesterday (December 4). My wife has passed away, and her body is still at the hospital. I need to take her back home. It has already been two days, and no help is being provided.” Another passenger in Pune called for government intervention, stating, “When flights are being cancelled on such a large scale, there must be proper guidelines, oversight, and accountability. My leave from work has now been wasted, and I am stranded without an alternative.”
Other passengers highlighted the operational confusion, reporting that a cancellation message was sometimes followed by a web check-in notification, adding to the chaos. In Mumbai, one traveler described the situation regarding baggage handling after cancellations: “After the cancellation, nobody guided us regarding luggage… This lack of coordination is causing panic among travelers.” A passenger in Patna noted the severity of the ongoing disruptions: “Our flight on December 3 was cancelled, and now today’s flight is also cancelled. Nobody knows whether it will operate later or not, and ticket prices on other flights are rising rapidly.” An international traveler in Bhubaneswar expressed frustration over a lack of communication while trying to secure a connection to Bengaluru.
With over 220 IndiGo flights cancelled in Delhi alone, more than 100 cancellations in Bengaluru, and nearly 90 in Hyderabad, the reduction in capacity had an immediate impact on air travel costs nationwide. Airfares on several major routes surged to extraordinary levels for last-minute bookings. For instance, an Air India one-stop flight from Delhi to Bengaluru soared to Rs 1.02 lakh, while Delhi–Mumbai fares on Air India peaked at Rs 60,000. Tickets on the Chennai–Delhi route reached Rs 41,000 on Air India Express and Rs 69,000 on SpiceJet. A one-stop Air India flight from Hyderabad to Delhi climbed to Rs 87,000.
IndiGo attributed the widespread cancellations and delays to a combination of factors, primarily the full implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms for pilots. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rules, which aim to reduce fatigue and improve safety by increasing weekly rest periods and limiting night-time operations, have resulted in a severe crew shortage and scheduling challenges for the airline.
IndiGo, which commands over 60 percent of the domestic market, acknowledged that it had underestimated the crew requirements under the new system. The operational meltdown has been building for several days, with the airline recording over 1,200 cancellations across its network in November. Delhi Airport confirmed that operations for all other carriers remained as scheduled, highlighting the extent of the crisis affecting IndiGo.
As the situation continues to unfold, passengers are left grappling with the aftermath of the cancellations, with many calling for better communication and support from the airline during such unprecedented disruptions. According to IANS, the operational challenges faced by IndiGo have raised concerns about the airline’s ability to manage its services effectively in the wake of regulatory changes.