IndiGo Flight Disruptions Triggers 4x Hike in Airfares Nationwide

Flight disruptions across the country due to Indigo's "operational challenges" have left passengers distressed and stranded.

Following the chaos, airfares skyrocketed, adding to the woes of travellers.

Ticket prices across airlines including Air India, Star Air, and Akasa Air surged sharply.

Fares that were typically ₹15,000–₹20,000 have shot up to an exorbitant ₹75,000–₹80,000 for today's travel.

Routes to major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune saw the steepest hikes.

Angry passengers slammed the sudden spike, with many even cancelling their travel plans as a result.

Some airlines are being accused of cashing in on passenger distress amid the ongoing flight disruptions.

IndiGo operations across India remained severely disrupted on Saturday, with more than 100 flights cancelled and thousands of passengers stranded at airports in Mumbai, Guwahati and Hyderabad.

Passengers complained of last-minute alerts, lack of communication and long queues as flight operations continued to be hit nationwide.

Delhi Airport recorded one of the highest cancellation counts, with airport authorities confirming that IndiGo's 54 departures and 52 arrivals, a total of 106 flights, were cancelled as of Saturday morning. As of 9:00 am, IndiGo reported 109 cancellations nationwide, including 51 arrivals and 58 departures, according to the airline's operations update.

Hyderabad Airport GMR confirmed that IndiGo has planned 69 cancellations for Saturday. This includes 26 incoming and 43 outgoing flights, affecting overall airport operations.

The impact was felt prominently in the Northeast, where Assam's Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati witnessed scenes of chaos. A large number of passengers waited for hours after flights were abruptly grounded.

In Mumbai, visuals from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport showed long queues and congested terminals as travellers tried to navigate the uncertainty.

The nation's largest airline saw a major disruption on Friday, cancelling over 1,000 flights. This widespread action led to massive air travel delays across the country and a resulting huge hike in airfares.

In response, the central government intervened, granting the airline, IndiGo, an exemption from the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FTDL) rules until February 10th. These FTDL rules were designed to mandate longer rest periods for airline staff to specifically combat pilot fatigue.