New Delhi: India’s domestic aviation market was thrown into turmoil on Friday as IndiGo’s mass flight cancellations left passengers struggling to secure travel, with airfares across major routes surging up to ten times their usual rates. The disruption came in the wake of the airline’s cancellation of more than 1,000 flights over the past few days, forcing passengers to scramble for limited seats on rival carriers, often at prohibitive costs.

Round-trip fares on key domestic routes spiked dramatically. A Delhi-Mumbai return ticket reached ₹93,000, while tickets to Bengaluru touched ₹92,000, Kolkata ₹94,000, and Chennai ₹80,000. These figures sharply contrast with typical same-day economy round-trip fares of ₹20,000–₹25,000. Even under normal last-minute booking conditions, fares rarely exceed ₹30,000. By Friday evening, flights across most major domestic routes were fully booked, leaving travelers with few options other than paying inflated fares or postponing their journeys.

For many passengers, the surge in ticket prices became a harsh reality of an already stressful situation. “A return ticket that should have cost around ₹15,000 cost me ₹50,000 with another airline. I had no option but to buy the expensive tickets. It’s terribly unfair on fliers,” said a 36-year-old lawyer from Delhi who booked a ticket to Bengaluru.

Travel agents confirmed that passengers facing urgent travel needs were paying five to ten times normal fares. Others opted to extend their stays or look for alternative modes of transport. “While people in an emergency have chosen to still book other airlines, we have most customers telling us that they want to extend their stay and wait. Booking trains for shorter journeys of four to seven hours is also emerging as an option,” said Rahul Saraswat, general manager at Shivam Services, a Delhi-based travel company.

The surge was especially pronounced on high-demand routes. Varun Thukral, who runs Luxury Vacations, noted, “The Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Bengaluru routes are heavily impacted, and the prices have increased exponentially. For instance, for a Delhi-Mumbai flight, airlines other than IndiGo are selling return tickets for ₹40,000–50,000.”

Individual travelers also reported facing exorbitant charges. Gulzar, a 62-year-old social sector worker, traveled to Delhi for a one-day appointment at the US Embassy. “My ticket got cancelled. I have managed to get one Air India ticket for Hyderabad on December 6, but they are charging exorbitant prices. Normally, a ticket from Delhi to Hyderabad would cost around ₹5,000–7,000, but I had to pay ₹32,000 for it,” he said.

Fares connecting cities other than the capital showed similar spikes. A one-way Chandigarh-Bengaluru ticket on December 6 was priced at ₹65,000 on Air India, a journey involving a layover in Mumbai. Tickets from Chandigarh to Mumbai alone were quoted around ₹43,000. Travel agent Manjit Singh, based in Chandigarh, explained that the surge was a direct consequence of IndiGo’s dominant market position. “With IndiGo being the largest carrier of domestic flights, other airlines are now shooting up the prices, at least for another two to three days. Reasonable prices may reappear from Monday onwards, but looking at the current situation, prices could rise further in a few hours,” he said.

The airline’s cancellations were widespread. IndiGo cancelled all 11 flights from Jammu and 13 from Srinagar on Friday, leaving many passengers stranded without adequate assistance. Mumbai airport alone saw 258 cancellations—133 departures and 125 arrivals—out of 396 scheduled flights. Overall, sources reported that 398 flights had been cancelled at the airport since December 3.

Operational chaos compounded the fare crisis. Luggage piled up in cargo areas with minimal staff to facilitate collection, and passengers frequently clashed with IndiGo personnel. One couple traveling from Chandigarh discovered their flight had been cancelled while en route to the airport and had to return home, struggling to book alternative flights at vastly inflated prices.

Industry observers expressed concern over the broader implications of IndiGo’s disruptions. “Whatever has happened shouldn’t have happened. DGCA has taken note of it. IndiGo is India’s biggest airline in terms of operations. During the winter season, everyone is planning to travel either within the country or overseas. It’s a peak period, and the airline shouldn’t have inconvenienced people. Those travelling from overseas may have to redraw their travel plans during Christmas owing to such high airfares,” said Iqbal Mulla, former president of the Travel Agents Association of India.

Authorities have intervened to address the crisis. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed IndiGo to stabilize operations and is closely monitoring airfare levels to prevent price gouging. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu directed DGCA to ensure that the disruptions do not create an unfair burden on travelers and to enforce measures preventing excessive fare hikes, according to a ministry statement issued Thursday.

Despite the regulatory interventions, passengers continue to face difficulties securing affordable alternatives, illustrating the vulnerability of India’s domestic aviation network to operational failures at major carriers. Experts warn that unless airlines improve contingency planning, scheduling, and staffing, disruptions during peak travel periods could continue to trigger cascading fare spikes, leaving travelers with little choice but to bear the cost.

As the IndiGo crisis unfolds, passengers, travel agencies, and regulators remain in a delicate balancing act, trying to restore order while mitigating financial and logistical impacts on travelers across the country. The combined effect of mass cancellations and sky-high fares has turned what should be routine travel into an unprecedented challenge for millions of Indians.

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