Bengaluru flyers hit hard as IndiGo crisis pushes airfares to record highs

Nationwide cancellations leave thousands stranded; other airlines hike ticket prices sharply amid soaring demand

The ongoing operational crisis at IndiGo has caused major disruption across India’s aviation network, with more than 600 flights cancelled today alone. The large-scale cancellation of both domestic and international flights has left thousands of passengers stranded in airports, including those travelling from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and other major cities.

According to aviation sources, other airlines have quickly taken commercial advantage of the situation, increasing fares sharply as stranded passengers scramble for alternatives. With IndiGo, the country’s second-largest airline,  functioning at only partial capacity, the sudden spike in demand has pushed ticket rates to unprecedented levels.

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On Friday, over 700 IndiGo flights were cancelled across major routes. As a result, one-way fares on key sectors skyrocketed. The Delhi-Chennai ticket price shot up to ₹65,985, while the heavily travelled Delhi-Mumbai route climbed to ₹38,676. Fares on the Delhi-Kolkata sector also crossed ₹38,699, with only a few seats left.

For Bengaluru travellers, the shock has been severe.

A last-minute Bengaluru-Delhi Air India ticket for Saturday evening touched ₹33,838, while fares for Sunday, December 7, range between ₹23,000 and ₹45,000 depending on the airline and timing.

Reports indicate that multi-stop routes to Chennai even crossed ₹71,000, leaving passengers with little choice as trains are also fully booked. Travellers took to social media describing the situation as being “punished twice”,  first by cancellations and then by unaffordable fares.

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The crisis deepened after IndiGo suspended all domestic departures from Delhi and Chennai until midnight, causing massive queues and confusion at airports. With limited seats available on other carriers, airlines displayed aggressive last-minute pricing on December 5 and 6.

Although the Union Civil Aviation Minister has directed the DGCA to monitor fares to ensure airlines do not exploit the crisis, the regulator effectively has no direct control over ticket pricing. Meanwhile, stranded passengers continue to search desperately for available seats, many forced to pay inflated amounts to reach their destinations.