E-Paper
Government invokes powers to regulate surging airfares amid IndiGo cancellations
The ministry of civil aviation said that any deviation from the prescribed norms will result in immediate corrective action for the greater public interest.
The central government, on Saturday, took a serious note of concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption caused by IndiGo's operational chaos.
According to a press release, the ministry of civil aviation has invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes in order to protect passengers from any form of opportunistic pricing.
“An official directive has been issued to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have now been prescribed. These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises. The objective of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel — including senior citizens, students, and patients — are not subjected to financial hardship during this period,” the release said.
The release added that the ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed norms will result in immediate corrective action for the greater public interest.
The IndiGo crisis
IndiGo has been experiencing an “operational crisis” – as the airline terms it – over the past few days, with more than 1,000 flight cancellations on a single day, Friday.
The disruption slightly improved but still lagged on Saturday, with more than 440 flights cancelled amid an escalating staffing and operations crisis that has left airports across major metros overwhelmed.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport reported one of the highest numbers of disruptions, as passengers faced long queues, hours-long delays and limited information.
The city-wise status shows more than 440 IndiGo flight cancellations reported across airports on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
