IndiGo Flight Cancellations Trigger Surge In Demand For Tickets Across Major Train Routes

IndiGo’s continuing operational problems have begun to affect India’s rail network, with major long-distance routes seeing a sudden spike in passenger demand after widespread flight cancellations from Delhi, reported NDTV.

According to the report, the unexpected cancellation of multiple IndiGo flights has pushed thousands of passengers towards trains departing from New Delhi. The demand for seats on most major routes has risen sharply, with Tatkal (last-minute) bookings seeing a significant jump.

The surge is being felt across several key corridors. Trains running from Delhi to Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Jammu, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai have all reported unusually high passenger loads, NDTV reported.

With the airline still battling widespread cancellations, the pressure on India’s rail network reflects the severity and scale of the crisis.

The disruption escalated further on Friday, Dec. 5. According to an announcement made by the Delhi airport on its X handle, the airline cancelled all domestic departures from Delhi airport until midnight.

Confusion deepened soon after, with sources within the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) telling NDTV that cancellations were only in place until 3 p.m. The conflicting statements added to the anxiety of travellers already dealing with lengthy delays and rapidly rising travel costs.

On Dec. 5, frustration boiled over at New Delhi airport as several passengers shouted for answers over prolonged delays. Some travellers said they had even boarded their aircraft, only to be asked to deboard later after the flight was cancelled.

The chaos, driven largely by an unexpected shortage of pilots linked to planning lapses, has now stretched into its fourth day. Authorities remain on alert as operations continue to be strained.

IndiGo, which runs around 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of more than 400 aircrafts, has seen its on-time performance fall steeply, with the disruption expected to persist for several more days.

IndiGo’s top management has acknowledged the severity of the situation. In a message to employees, CEO Pieter Elbers conceded that the airline could not live up to its promise of reliable service, citing a mix of new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules, technical snags, airport congestion and adverse weather.

The FDTL regulations strictly cap crew hours, which are eight hours of flying per day, 35 per week, 125 per month and 1,000 per year. It also mandates significant rest periods, including a minimum of 10 hours’ rest within any 24-hour window, amounting to twice the duration of their actual flying time.