IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers has said the airline expects fewer than 1,000 cancellations on Saturday following Friday’s operational crisis.

He apologized for the disruption and promised full restoration of services between December 10 and 15.

Delhi Airport confirmed that IndiGo flights are "steadily resuming" after more than 1,000 cancellations on Friday, which were caused by pilot shortages and planning gaps that grounded all domestic departures. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said flight schedules should stabilise by Saturday, with full normalcy likely by Monday, while authorities continue to closely monitor the situation. The disruptions began on Tuesday due to crew shortages and peaked Friday at Delhi Airport, India’s busiest hub, when all midday departures were cancelled. 

Airfares skyrocket

On Friday, last-minute fares surged to unprecedented levels amid IndiGo’s flight cancellations. A one-way, one-stop economy ticket on SpiceJet from Kolkata to Mumbai for December 6 reportedly reached ₹90,000, while a similar Air India Mumbai–Bhubaneswar ticket spiked to ₹84,485, according to PTI citing airline websites.

A source told PTI that “last-minute fares are usually 2–3 times the normal rates, but in this case, they surged up to six times.”

Ajay Prakash, Nomad Travel CEO and former president of the Travel Agents’ Association of India, called the hike “black marketing and profiteering” and warned of the urgent need for oversight: “If a ₹10,000 ticket is being sold at ₹60,000 anywhere, it’s exploitative and must be addressed.”

SpiceJet ramps up flights

Following widespread delays and cancellations by IndiGo, which disrupted hundreds of domestic flights, SpiceJet has stepped in to help stranded travellers by adding extra departures from Delhi and Mumbai on Saturday. The airline aims to offer passengers alternative travel options and ease congestion at busy airports while the aviation sector works to restore normal operations.

Delhi Airport says operations ‘getting back to normal’

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has issued a passenger advisory confirming that IndiGo flights are now “steadily resuming” after Friday’s mass disruption that saw more than 1,000 cancellations. Travelers have been urged to check flight status before leaving home.

“We are glad to update that IndiGo flight operations are now steadily resuming and getting back to normalcy,” Delhi Airport said in the statement.

Passengers left stranded without answers

Across the country, passengers reported long waits, cancelled trips, and a lack of communication from the airline.

At Jodhpur Airport, one traveller said: “No one from IndiGo is providing any answers… I have been standing here since morning.”

Another passenger in Bhubaneswar, who was due to connect to an international flight, said she spent three hours seeking clarity with “no answers” provided.

High-level committee to probe IndiGo’s preparedness

The DGCA has set up a four-member panel to examine IndiGo’s failure to prepare for FDTL CAR 2024. The regulator cited “deficiencies in internal oversight and compliance planning,” noting that cancellations had climbed to 170–200 per day before spiraling this week.

The committee will submit its report within 15 days and recommend regulatory action to prevent future disruptions.

Source: ANI/Gulf News