Air travelers face increasing difficulties: Indigo flight cancellations lead to a tsunami-like surge in fares, hitting their pockets hard.

Due to Indigo flight cancellations across the country, airfares on many domestic routes have skyrocketed, with fares from Delhi to cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai becoming more expensive than international flights. The disruption of over 500 flights has caused significant inconvenience to travelers, but according to travel platforms, fares are expected to normalize in the coming days.

The widespread cancellations of Indigo flights across India have led to a massive surge in airfares on many major domestic routes, pushing prices to unprecedented levels as travelers search for alternatives. According to data from the popular booking website MakeMyTrip (MMT), there has been a significant surge on routes from Delhi to major metros and state capitals, where prices for same-day non-stop flights are up to double the rates available for neighboring dates.

Booking data from MakeMyTrip shows that the cheapest Delhi-Bengaluru flight on December 6th costs over ₹40,000, while some options cost over ₹80,000. According to MMT data, a traveler wishing to travel from Delhi to Mumbai on December 6th will have to pay a minimum of ₹36,107 and a maximum of over ₹56,000. For the return journey, the minimum fare to reach the national capital is ₹23,000, while the maximum is over ₹37,000. On the Delhi-Chennai route, last-minute fares reached ₹62,000-₹82,000.

The lowest fare for passengers travelling from Delhi to Guwahati was ₹23,998, while the highest was ₹35,015. To illustrate this, a flight from Delhi to Dubai on December 6th (tomorrow) will cost approximately ₹25,855, making international travel cheaper than flying between two Indian cities. Similarly, a Bengaluru-Dubai ticket is available for approximately ₹15,000. Compared to these rates, international travel is much cheaper than domestic travel. A flight from Delhi to Bangkok will cost approximately ₹18,747.

The disruption led to widespread operational disruptions for IndiGo, with over 500 flights across the country delayed or cancelled, causing congestion at airports and stranding passengers. All IndiGo flights from Delhi airport were cancelled by midnight, although other airlines continued operating as scheduled. Amid efforts by IndiGo to stabilise operations, travel platforms suggest that fares are expected to normalise in the coming days, as evidenced by significantly lower prices displayed for December 9-12 on Delhi routes.