IndiGo meltdown triggers airfare spike; Delhi–Bengaluru tops an eye-watering ₹84k

IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, remained mired in operational disruptions for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday, with more than 470 flights cancelled nationwide. This followed over 1,000 cancellations on Friday and more than 550 on Thursday.

The highest number of disruptions was reported at Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airports, respectively. Amid these disruptions, domestic airfares soared faster than hits on a Taylor Swift single.

MakeMyTrip showed two connecting flights from Delhi to Bengaluru offered by SpiceJet -- one cost ₹75,869 and the other was priced at ₹84,269.

Yatra.com showed one IndiGo flight from Delhi to Bengaluru costing ₹43,942 and four SpiceJet flights. The IndiGo flight is a 7 hour and 55 minute-long connecting flight, with one stop at Mumbai. 

Moreover, a Delhi-Chennai flight costs ₹82,273 on December 6. This was a connecting 21-hour-long flight offered by SpiceJet, with one stop at Patna. 

On the Delhi-Mumbai sector, one of the busiest sectors in India, flight ticket prices range from ₹47,767 to a whopping ₹86,365 on Saturday. Also, SpiceJet and Air India Express are offering a direct flight from Delhi to Mumbai at a cost of ₹61,577, as per Skyscanner. 

Moreover, the cheapest Delhi-Kolkata flight is priced at ₹35,610 and the most expensive one is at ₹52,387. As per Skyscanner, no IndiGo flights are available for the Delhi-Pune route as well as the Delhi-Ahmedabad route. 

Given the rise in airfares, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued an official directive to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have been prescribed. These fare caps would remain in force till the IndiGo flights situation fully stabilises. 

The objective of imposing fare caps is not only to maintain pricing discipline in the market but also to prevent exploitation of passengers in distress and ensure that those who need to travel urgently, such as senior citizens, students and patients, are not exploited financially. 

The ministry added that it will continue to closely monitor the fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any violation of the prescribed norms would result in immediate corrective action to safeguard the greater public interest.