IndiGo Chaos Leads to 4x Fares; Centre Orders Airlines to Stick to Price Caps

New Delhi: Due to Indigo crisis, air passengers in the country are facing a lot of problems for the last few days. After thousands of flights were cancelled, airfares increased three to four times on many routes. In view of this situation, the Central Government has issued a warning to all the airlines to strictly follow the newly decided fare caps. The government has seen this as “opportunistic pricing” i.e. an attempt to extract more from passengers by taking advantage of the opportunity.

What instructions did the government issue?

In the instructions issued by the Civil Aviation Ministry, it has been said that some airlines were charging very high fares, whereas there was already pressure on the passengers. The ministry clarified that if any airline goes above the prescribed fare limit, immediate action will be taken against it. These price caps will remain in effect until the situation becomes completely normal.

How did Indigo crisis become the reason for fare increase?

Indigo is India's largest low-cost airline. After the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, the company was unable to manage the crew roster, leading to mass cancellation of flights. The situation was at its worst on Friday when around 1,000 flights were cancelled. On Saturday, the government gave temporary relief to IndiGo, after which the number of canceled flights declined, but still around 500 flights remained cancelled.

How much did ticket prices increase?

• The surge in air fares was shocking.
• The fare for Delhi-Mumbai non-stop flight reached ₹65,460.
• One-stop options were selling between ₹38,000 and ₹49,000.
• Kolkata-Mumbai one-way ticket shown at ₹90,000.
• Bengaluru–Delhi ticket fare reached ₹88,000.
• Fares on many metro routes increased three to four times, causing huge anger among passengers.

How is the government handling the situation?

The government has taken immediate steps to reduce the problems of passengers. In view of the disruption in airline services, additional trains have been run so that people can reach their destinations. Along with this, the government has clearly said that it is continuously monitoring the airfares through real-time data. Continuous negotiations are also taking place with airlines and online travel platforms. If any irregularity or arbitrariness in fare is found, immediate action will be taken.

Why did the matter reach the Supreme Court?

Thousands of passengers suffered huge financial losses due to the cancellation of a large number of IndiGo flights. For this reason the matter has reached the Supreme Court. A petition has sought the court's intervention, saying that the airlines should compensate the passengers for their losses as people had to suffer a lot without any fault.

Will the situation become normal soon?

The effect of strict monitoring by the government and the temporary relief given to IndiGo is beginning to be visible. Flights are slowly coming back on track and the number of flights canceled on Saturday was also less than before. This clearly indicates that the situation is coming under control. However, passengers believe that until fares return to normal levels and flight schedules are completely stabilised, travel problems will persist.