IndiGo Flight Chaos: Government Imposes Fare Caps Amid Skyrocketing Air Ticket Prices

The ministry did not disclose the exact limits airlines must adhere to despite issuing the fare-cap order. File Photo.

On Saturday, December 6, 2025, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) invoked its regulatory powers to impose “fair and reasonable” fare caps on airlines. It is after a sharp surge in domestic air-ticket prices caused by widespread disruptions due to IndiGo flight cancellations.

According to the ministry, the caps are for all impacted routes. The objective is to prevent opportunistic pricing and to protect distressed passengers, including “senior citizens, students and patients”. The caps are in force until the full stability of the situation.

IndiGo cancelled at least 1,600 flights nationwide over the past week. This massive disruption is caused by “mismanagement in planning the crew roster” after stricter duty-time norms came into effect, a spokesperson said.

As a consequence of the sudden drop in the availability of seats, airfares across carriers reportedly jumped to unprecedented levels. In many sectors, round-trip economy fares jumped five to tenfold above normal fare prices. On some of the busiest routes, return fares crossed INR 80,000–INR 90,000: for example, a Delhi–Mumbai round-trip went up to INR 93,000, while return tickets for Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai were priced at INR 92,000, INR 94,000 and INR 80,000, respectively. Under “normal circumstances”, return fares on these routes rarely exceed INR 20,000–INR 25,000, and even last-minute bookings seldom go beyond INR 30,000.

The ministry did not disclose the exact limits airlines must adhere to despite issuing the fare-cap order. According to the ministry, it would continue to monitor fare levels using real-time data and coordinate with airlines and online travel platforms; any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract “immediate corrective action in the larger public interest”.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that this intervention is focused on restoring pricing discipline in the market, mitigating exploitation during the crisis, and ensuring that citizens with urgent travel needs are not subjected to exorbitant costs in this phase of massive disruption.

Source: Hindustan Times