Return Tickets For Flights From Delhi To Mumbai

 Return Tickets For Flights From Delhi To Mumbai Hit Rs 60,000 As IndiGo Crisis Sparks Massive Fare Spike

New Delhi: Air travel Costs

on one of India’s busiest routes have soared to extraordinary levels as IndiGo’s nationwide disruption continues to cripple flight operations.

With hundreds of Cancellations and delays piling up, return fares between Delhi and Mumbai have climbed to nearly Rs 60,000 in economy, compared with the usual last minute range of around Rs 20,000.

Fares Surge Across Airlines As Capacity Shrinks

The Cancellation of all IndiGo domestic flights from Delhi airport till midnight has pushed demand onto other carriers, with one way fares also rising sharply. 

A Delhi to Mumbai ticket on MakeMyTrip, now starts at Rs 25,500 and reaches up to Rs 38,000 on airlines such as SpiceJet, Akasa and Air India. Normally, the same sector would cost between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 even for a last minute booking.

The spike comes amid one of the most significant aviation disruptions India has witnessed in years. IndiGo has cancelled over 1,000 flights in four days, leaving terminals congested and passengers stranded for hours. 

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Goa have all reported heavy cancellations and long delays, with some travellers waiting up to seven hours before flights were called off.

IndiGo’s on time performance dropped to under 19.7 percent during the crisis, despite its usual reputation for punctuality. 

With the airline controlling nearly 65 percent of the domestic market, the reduction in capacity has sent shockwaves across the system.

Crew Shortages, New FDTL Rules And Passenger Chaos

The disruption stems from a combination of factors. IndiGo has acknowledged miscalculations in crew planning under the second phase of India’s Flight Duty Time Limitation rules, which expand rest requirements and restrict night operations. 

Pilot bodies allege airlines did not scale up hiring and in some cases tried to run expanded schedules without adding manpower.

Reports of staff skipping duty to attend recruitment drives, and isolated instances of on ground protests, added to the operational strain. Fog delays in North India, airport congestion and two unrelated bomb threat diversions further intensified cascading delays.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has Criticised the airline for inadequate preparation and directed it to stabilise operations without allowing fares to surge. 

The DGCA has also ordered IndiGo to deploy more staff at airports after inspections found significant manpower shortages.