When IndiGo canceled 550 flights, other airlines increased the fares sky-high instead of helping. The stranded passengers remained hungry and thirsty and the system completely collapsed. Is this just a crisis or the real face of India’s aviation?
New Delhi. India’s largest airline Indigo is facing its biggest crisis these days. Thousands of passengers are troubled due to continuous flight cancellations at major airports of the country. The condition of passengers at the airports of big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru is dire. Many videos and social media posts show people stranded for hours, hungry, tired and desperate for help. Passengers say that they are not getting any help from the airline staff. Passengers are spending money just to change their tickets and take a new flight, but in return, they are getting chaos, confusion and complete ignorance.
Did other airlines take advantage of the IndiGo crisis?
Amidst this crisis, other airlines allowed their airfares to skyrocket. Passengers at Hyderabad airport said that other airlines had increased ticket prices many times the normal rate. A passenger said that he had no option but to buy a SpiceJet ticket, whereas the same ticket usually costs Rs 5,000-8,000. Notably, an Air India business-class seat from Hyderabad to Bhopal on December 3 was priced at Rs 1.3 lakh, while an economy seat was shown at Rs 1.03 lakh. Due to lack of direct flights, passengers were forced to take a flight that took nine hours and two stops.
Why didn’t other airlines help?
The general expectation is that when one airline fails, other companies will step up capacity—running additional flights, controlling fares, and bailing out passengers. But the opposite happened in India. The ticket which was priced at Rs 5,000–8,000 reached Rs 35,000 to Rs 1.3 lakh.
Example:
- Hyderabad–Bhopal: Rs 1.3 lakh (Business Class, two stops)
- Hyderabad-Mumbai: Rs 70,329
- Hyderabad–Visakhapatnam: Rs 69,787 (two stops)
What is the real reason behind Indigo crisis?
Indigo admitted that this problem did not arise suddenly. This situation arose due to the new phase of Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, crew shortage and poor long-term planning. More than 550 flights were canceled on Thursday alone, while just a few days ago the airline’s on-time performance had fallen to just 19.7%. DGCA said this disruption was mainly due to miscalculation and lack of planning in implementing the second phase of FDTL rules. The airline said that there may be more cancellations in the coming weeks, but operations will be stable by February 10, 2026.
Trouble and helpless condition of passengers
Seeing the condition of the passengers in the viral video, it is clear that there is no concrete support at the airport. Many passengers were stranded overnight waiting for flights, their luggage remained lying at the terminal and many did not even get food and drink facilities. Many people said that the sudden increase in air fares further affected them financially. Some passengers were forced to buy tickets ranging from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000, whereas normally the same route was available for only Rs 5-8 thousand.
Did the industry help in the crisis or just take advantage?
The experience of passengers shows that the industry is not helping in the crisis. Seeing the helplessness of the passengers, other airlines increased the air fares. There was no guarantee for passengers to get a seat and ticket prices increased so much that people are calling it “absolutely inhumane”. This made it clear that when one airline is in trouble, the other only focuses on making money. This trend in the industry has become a matter of concern for passengers.
What can be expected in the future?
IndiGo has sought exemption from DGCA so that operations can be stabilized under the new FDTL rules. More flight cancellations are likely in the coming weeks. Passengers are being advised to plan travel well in advance, keeping in mind additional costs and possible delays when booking tickets.