NEW DELHI – India’s aviation sector is grappling with a severe crisis as IndiGo’s massive operational failure, stemming from a miscalculation of pilot requirements, has triggered hundreds of flight cancellations and an unprecedented explosion in domestic airfares. The surge has created an ironic situation where one-way tickets to major Indian cities are now several times more expensive than flights to international destinations like London and Thailand.
The chaos reached a peak on a recent Friday (December 5, 2025), following the airline’s acknowledgement that it had severely miscalculated the number of pilots needed to comply with new Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) crew duty regulations. This shortfall led to a domino effect of delays and cancellations nationwide, with the airline even cancelling all departures from Delhi till midnight on the worst affected day.
The Great Fare Disparity
The most startling effect of the crisis has been on pricing. As capacity vanished, remaining tickets on domestic routes became prohibitively expensive.
- A fastest connecting flight on the Delhi–Bengaluru route was briefly listed on a travel portal for an eye-watering ₹70,000 for a one-way fare, with prices settling closer to ₹32,000—still 3 to 4 times the normal range of ₹10,000–₹15,000.
- In stark contrast, Delhi–London fares on international carriers started at just over ₹25,000.
- Other domestic routes also saw dramatic inflation: Delhi–Goa surpassed ₹56,000, and Delhi–Pune tickets ranged between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000.
This situation has led travelers to note the bizarre reality that international getaways to cities like Thailand (under ₹10,000), Vietnam, and Singapore are financially more accessible than critical domestic travel.
Passenger Distress and Political Heat
Flyers across the country reported scenes of chaos, with angry passengers crowded at departure gates following delays stretching up to 8 hours. Many travellers expressed outrage, noting that despite the widespread cancellations, the airline’s website continued to book future flights at significantly inflated margins, suggesting the airline was capitalizing on the crisis.
The crisis quickly drew political attention. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, flagged the fiasco as the cost of the government’s “monopoly model,” calling for “fair competition in every sector.” Other political leaders criticized the Civil Aviation Ministry’s handling of the situation, citing insufficient accountability for rising airfares and widespread passenger grievances.
While the government has since put the new crew duty rule in abeyance, expecting IndiGo’s operations to normalize, stranded passengers continue to demand transparency and fairer pricing from the airline.
