Today, all 235 flights at Delhi airport have been cancelled by the airline. IndiGo, India's largest airline, has halted its domestic departures from Delhi until midnight on Friday, causing ticket prices on key routes to skyrocket to as much as ₹1 lakh. The suspension of IndiGo's domestic departures was confirmed by Delhi airport on its official X handle. In the midst of this chaos, the market responded swiftly.
Airfares Skyrocket as IndiGo Disruptions Ripple Across India
The IndiGo meltdown has sent shockwaves through the skies — and your wallets. A Friday night one-stop flight from Delhi to Bengaluru on Air India was priced at a staggering ₹1.02 lakh, while Akasa Air offered the same route for around ₹39,000. Delhi–Mumbai tickets on Air India soared to ₹60,000, Chennai–Delhi fares on Air India Express climbed to ₹41,000, and SpiceJet quoted ₹69,000 for the same route.
The surge isn’t limited to Delhi. Flights from Pune to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru have also seen steep hikes. Pune to Mumbai tickets are around ₹61,000, Pune to Delhi costs ₹27,000, and Pune to Bengaluru is approximately ₹49,000.
Hyderabad routes have not been spared either. Hyderabad–Delhi one-stop Air India flights reached ₹87,000, Hyderabad–Mumbai fares went up to ₹76,500, while Air India Express quoted ₹38,300. Hyderabad–Bengaluru tickets hit ₹41,400 on Air India and ₹36,100 on Air India Express.
IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has cancelled hundreds of flights recently due to new pilot duty rules. While the airline apologised, lack of contingency planning has raised concerns. The DGCA introduced the FDTL rules in January 2024, with a phased rollout in July and November 2025 to give carriers ample preparation time.
The disruptions are closely linked to the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) mandated by the government to enhance passenger and crew safety:
Pilots now require 48 hours of weekly rest instead of 36.
Night landings have been reduced from 6 to 2 per pilot.
The night flying window has been adjusted to 12 am–6 am.
The new FDTL rules follow global safety norms, addressing pilot fatigue, which causes about 20% of fatal aviation errors worldwide. Airlines now need more crew to maintain schedules.
IndiGo’s aggressive fleet expansion, with over 1,000 aircraft on order, is straining pilot availability. Air India and smaller airlines are also growing, pushing demand for trained pilots to 20,000. Pilot groups claim hiring hasn’t kept pace, with the Federation of Indian Pilots urging the DGCA to ensure sufficient crew before approving schedules.
IndiGo’s tight schedule means delays ripple across multiple flights. Crew shortages, weather disruptions, technical checks, and FDTL rules created a nationwide domino effect, with Pune affected locally and Bengaluru hardest hit.The turmoil was caused by a mix of factors, including technical glitches, winter schedule shifts, weather conditions, staffing constraints, and a shortfall of pilots.
