IndiGo's Flight Chaos: Why Tickets Are Still On Sale Amid Mass Cancellations and Skyrocketing Fares

As IndiGo Airlines grapples with widespread operational turmoil, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights daily, passengers are left bewildered by two key issues: how the carrier continues to offer tickets for seemingly doomed services, and why airfares across the board have soared to unprecedented levels, even on heavily disrupted routes.

The explanation boils down to this: despite the severe disruptions, IndiGo has not suspended its entire operations or axed all of its more than 2,200 daily domestic and international flights. Instead, the problems are localised to certain hubs and timeframes, allowing much of the network to limp along.

The crisis peaked on Friday, when over 1,000 flights were scrapped, including every domestic departure from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. While this represents a substantial slice of IndiGo's schedule, other corridors—like those between Kolkata and Guwahati, or Chennai and Coimbatore, plus links between smaller cities—remain operational, though plagued by delays and fewer departures.

Because the airline's full slate isn't grounded, IndiGo—India's dominant carrier with a market share exceeding 60%—keeps selling seats on flights projected to run in the coming days. The airline anticipates a gradual return to normalcy, aiming for near-full recovery between December 10 and 15, following a one-off "system reset" to realign planes and personnel.

Last-Minute Decisions Keep Schedules Fluid

Airlines worldwide avoid preemptively axing flights far in advance unless facing a complete collapse. For IndiGo, cancellations are determined just 24 to 48 hours ahead, based on real-time assessments. This means bookings for flights two or three days out stay active, banking on a rebound in operations. Only once a service is definitively unviable—due to crew shortages or aircraft unavailability—does it get officially cancelled.

In the thick of the meltdown, flights might appear bookable right up until final crew assignments or plane rotations are confirmed. This is a global industry norm, designed to maximise revenue and flexibility. IndiGo would only halt all sales if it voluntarily shuttered operations or regulators imposed a blanket ban—scenarios that haven't materialised.

Supply Crunch Fuels Fare Frenzy

IndiGo's outsized influence on the market means its cancellations slash overall seat availability overnight, while traveller demand holds steady. This imbalance activates automated "dynamic pricing" systems employed by airlines and booking platforms, which jack up prices in response.

The fallout has been stark over the last day:

- One-way tickets from Delhi to Mumbai have spiked to ₹50,000, with round-trips nearing ₹60,000.
- Delhi to Bengaluru fares have ballooned to as high as ₹1 lakh, including multi-leg itineraries.
- Even short hops like Bengaluru to Mumbai, typically under ₹7,000, are now fetching ₹40,000.

Social media buzzed with outrage, as some noted that direct flights from Delhi to London undercut these domestic rates. The ripple effect has inflated prices on rival carriers too, prompting calls for intervention: Should regulators pause these algorithms during crises to shield passengers from exploitative surges, especially when they've already committed to a booking?

Advice for Travellers

IndiGo has signalled potential easing from Saturday onward, but full stability could linger until mid-December. In the interim, flyers should monitor their flight's status obsessively via the airline's app or website before heading out. Even with confirmation, build in extra buffer time at the airport for potential last-minute scrambles. Brace for persistently high fares industry-wide until capacity rebounds and the dust settles.

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