India's air travel sector is facing significant turbulence as mass flight cancellations by IndiGo, the country's largest airline, have triggered a steep surge in fares on rival carriers. The disruption, which began earlier this week, intensified on Friday, December 5, 2025, with IndiGo canceling over 1,000 flights and expecting hundreds more cancellations on Saturday. This widespread disruption has left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports across the country, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
IndiGo's operational crisis stems from a combination of factors, including the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) for pilots, which aim to improve safety by ensuring adequate rest for flight crews. These new regulations limit the number of hours pilots and crew can work, necessitating adjustments to flight schedules and, consequently, cancellations. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers stated that the cancellations were necessary to "reboot" the airline's systems and schedules, with normalcy expected to return between December 10 and 15.
The mass cancellations have had an immediate impact on airfares, with prices on competing airlines skyrocketing as desperate passengers scramble for alternatives. For instance, fares for key metro routes like Delhi to Mumbai and Delhi to Bengaluru have seen substantial increases. Some passengers reported that fares on the Mumbai-Delhi route had soared to ₹60,000 on Thursday. On December 6, flights from Delhi to Mumbai on Akasa Air were priced at ₹24,000 and on SpiceJet at ₹22,000. The surge in demand has led to airlines like SpiceJet and Akasa Air sharply increasing their fares.
The situation has drawn criticism and concern from various quarters. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the government anticipates a complete restoration of IndiGo's services within three days. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also formed a four-member committee to investigate the causes of the disruptions. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted IndiGo a temporary exemption from certain crew duty regulations until February 10 to help stabilize operations.
IndiGo has issued a public apology to passengers, confirming the cancellation of all domestic departures from Delhi Airport on December 5. The airline has assured full refunds for all cancellations and is offering waivers on cancellation and rescheduling requests for travel between December 5 and 15. IndiGo also stated that refunds for cancellations would be automatically processed to the original mode of payment.
In response to the crisis, Western Railway is operating special trains between Sabarmati and Delhi to accommodate passengers affected by the flight cancellations. Central Railway is also running six special trains on key long-distance routes on December 6 and 7 to clear the extra rush of passengers.
