Centre imposes temporary fare caps as ticket prices defy gravity amid IndiGo meltdown

The move comes after days of intense operational chaos at IndiGo — India’s largest domestic carrier — which has been cancelling hundreds of flights nationwide every day.

The ministry said it had “noted concerns over unusually high fares being levied by some airlines amid the current disruption,” prompting an immediate regulatory response.

An official order issued to all carriers now requires “strict compliance with the newly prescribed fare limits.”

Stressing enforcement, the ministry warned that “any departure from the mandated norms will invite swift corrective measures in the public interest.”

The fare controls, it added, are temporary and will remain in place “until operations stabilise completely.”

IndiGo meltdown

A sharp drop in IndiGo’s operational capacity has pushed domestic airfares to abnormal highs across airlines, with travellers scrambling to find whatever seats are still available.

In just four days, IndiGo has cancelled more than 1,000 flights, causing widespread disruption at major airports including Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, where hundreds of arrivals and departures have been abruptly removed from schedules.

Photo: X/@VarshaEGaikwad

The airline has plunged into a severe operational crisis, driven primarily by a significant crew shortage triggered by the rollout of the revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules. 

As the situation deteriorated, the Centre stepped in, eventually suspending the newly introduced weekly-rest requirement for pilots in an attempt to stabilise operations after the massive wave of cancellations.