The crisis at India's largest airline, IndiGo, has reached a critical point, causing massive disruptions for thousands of passengers across the country. The situation deteriorated sharply this week, marked by unprecedented flight delays and widespread cancellations.
Record Low Performance and Mass Cancellations
On Thursday, the airline's on-time performance (OTP) crashed to an all-time low of just 8.5%, marking the first time it has ever fallen into single digits. The cascading problems led Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to announce a drastic measure on Friday. In a post on social media platform X, the airport stated that all IndiGo domestic departures from IGIA are cancelled until midnight on December 5 (23:59 hours).
Before this crisis, IndiGo operated a robust network of over 2,200 flights daily. Currently, the airline is grappling with cancellations and delays numbering in the several hundreds, crippling its schedule integrity and leaving passengers in limbo.
Passenger Chaos and Skyrocketing Airfares
With the domestic market leader in disarray, a frantic scramble for seats on rival airlines has ensued. This sudden surge in demand has sent airfares on other carriers soaring to exorbitant levels. While IndiGo tickets remain significantly cheaper—almost half the price of competitors—the uncertainty over whether those flights will operate at all has made them a risky bet for travelers.
The fare inflation is stark across major routes for travel this Sunday, December 7:
- Delhi to Mumbai one-way economy fares range between Rs 21,577 and Rs 39,000.
- Bengaluru to Kolkata tickets are priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 23,000.
- Chennai to Delhi costs approximately Rs 21,000.
The impact is equally severe on shorter routes. A Udaipur to Delhi one-way ticket for Sunday now costs between Rs 15,367 and Rs 26,406 on non-IndiGo airlines. Similarly, Udaipur to Mumbai fares have hit Rs 24,000 to Rs 35,000.
Travelers Bear the Brunt
Thousands of passengers find themselves stranded in cities with no option but to purchase these expensive last-minute tickets to return home. Mahima Shukla, a Chartered Accountant based in Delhi, exemplifies this dilemma. She flew from Delhi to Udaipur on Friday morning via Air India Express and was scheduled to return on Sunday with IndiGo.
"I am trying to cancel that ticket as I have to be in office Monday morning," Shukla said. "Udaipur-Delhi on other airlines is costing upwards of Rs 21,000. This is a double whammy."
The rapid decline of India's most reliable airline has shaken frequent flyers. A Delhi-based businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed widespread disbelief. "Air India had a deadly crash this June, so we avoided it for a few months. IndiGo has no schedule integrity as of now and we can’t fly it," he said. "This is possibly the worst phase for Indian airlines in many years. While fares keep skyrocketing, our confidence levels are nose-diving."
The ongoing crisis highlights severe operational challenges within IndiGo, creating a perfect storm of travel chaos and financial strain for passengers during a peak travel period.
