Airfares double amid IndiGo flight cancellations in Punjab, J&K
Operators charging up to ₹50,000 and ₹7,000 on Mumbai and Delhi routes, respectively, from Jammu, say travellers; Jammu airport director says officials were keeping an eye on the fares
Chaos was witnessed at the airports in Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jammu and Srinagar after IndiGo cancelled over 80 flights on Friday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, frustrated and scrambling for last-minute alternatives. At the same time, ticket prices of other airlines skyrocketed. As many as 22 flights were cancelled at Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport, Amritsar. Airport director Bhupendra Singh said, “On Friday, 22 of total 24 domestic flights to and from Amritsar airport were cancelled. One international flight, which operated from Amritsar to Sharjah (UAE), remained operational”.
The passengers who reached the airport to board IndiGo flights faced a lot of inconvenience. They reached the airport after rescheduling their flights, but rescheduled flights were also cancelled. They came to know about the cancellation on reaching the airport. The stranded passengers were seen arguing with the staff at the counter of the airline at the airport. The airline made accommodation arrangements in a hotel for some passengers.
At Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh, 34 IndiGo flights — including departures and arrivals — were cancelled. Airport data shows that out of 54 flights scheduled for the day, more than half were cancelled. Besides, 18 flights were delayed. Ten flights have been cancelled for Saturday.
Amid the last minute cancellations, chaos was seen at the airport with several passengers complaining that cancellations were updated only shortly before departure time, forcing them to remain at the airport for hours with no clarity about rescheduling or refunds.
At Jammu and Srinagar airports, IndiGo cancelled 11 and 16 flights, respectively. Jammu airport director Devendra Yadav said that IndiGo had notified its passengers about the flight cancellation. “While all 11 IndiGo flights have been cancelled, four flights to Leh, Srinagar and Delhi are being operated normally by Spicejet, Air India and Air India Express,” he said.
On the ticket rate hike, Yadav claimed that the authorities were keeping a watch on the same and there was no exorbitant spike in prices by other airliners.
Flight ticket prices from Chandigarh to major destinations skyrocketed. For Friday evening, an Alliance Air flight from Chandigarh to Delhi, scheduled to depart at 5.50pm was priced at ₹9,500. An Air India flight on the same route, with a scheduled departure at 6.40 pm, was costing as high as ₹16,000. On routine days, an IndiGo one-way ticket for the same sector usually ranges between ₹2,500 and ₹4,000.
The normal Srinagar-Delhi IndiGo fare is ₹3,500 to ₹4,500, but passengers complained that other airlines were charging up to ₹7,000 on the route for last-minute bookings.
At Jammu airport, Ashwani Handa, 50, a government official, said, he had to catch an IndiGo flight to Mumbai. “Other domestic airlines had increased their fares exorbitantly. They are charging ₹50,000 per passenger from Jammu to Mumbai,” he said, adding the normal economy class fare ranges between ₹12,000 to ₹15,000.
Delayed delivery of baggage
Passengers also reported delayed luggage delivery, with many waiting for their baggage hours after landing.
A total of seven IndiGo flights landed at the Chandigarh airport on Friday.
Airport CEO Ajay Verma said the Chandigarh International Airport Limited had taken multiple passenger-centric measures to minimise inconvenience and ensure smooth facilitation.
