IndiGo Crisis Exposed A Bigger One – India's Airlines Won't Step Up, Only Cash In

India

has been hit by one of its worst aviation meltdowns in years, triggered by the ongoing IndiGo crisis. Viral videos from across the country show airports bursting at the seams - stranded IndiGo passengers packed into terminals, baggage piled high and queues snaking endlessly. Clip after clip shows people stuck for hours, hungry, exhausted and desperate for help, but with no support from airline staff. They paid for comfort and care - but got chaos, confusion and complete neglect instead.

To make matters worse, other airlines have turned the crisis into a money-making moment. Rather than stepping up to support the strained network, they appear to be squeezing the passengers even harder.Hello, sky-high prices! With India's largest airline cancelling hundreds of flights, rival carriers have responded with eye-watering ticket prices, almost no on-ground support and a mad scramble that passengers describe as "absolutely inhuman".At Hyderabad airport, where IndiGo services were hit the hardest, passengers said the few available options on other carriers shot up to levels never seen before.

One traveller said he had no choice but to buy a Rs 35,000 SpiceJet ticket for a route that normally costs Rs 5,000– Rs 8,000. "My sister had a physical exam of RPF to attend and I had no other option," he said.The worst spike was seen on a last-minute Air India connection from Hyderabad to Bhopal on December 3, where a business-class seat touched Rs 1.3 lakh for a nine-hour, two-stop journey via Mumbai and Delhi.Economy seats were listed at Rs 1.03 lakh, and the airline showed just one seat left at that fare. The only cheaper alternative was a one-stop, 12-hour option at Rs 12,599 due to the absence of direct flights.A scan of airline websites showed similar airfare surges across major routes:Hyderabad–Visakhapatnam: Only one Air India flight was available - a two-stop, nine-hour service priced at Rs 69,787 in economy.Hyderabad–Bhubaneshwar: Fares ranged from Rs 27,417 to Rs 49,413 depending on stops and travel time.Delhi-bound flights: Non-stop options stretched from Rs 12,894 to Rs 29,524.Hyderabad–Mumbai: The cheapest seat cost Rs 32,095 for a 12-hour, two-stop option, while another one-stop ticket climbed to Rs 70,329.For many already dealing with sudden cancellations, the absence of relief from other airlines made the situation far worse."Airlines are charging 35k, 50k for routes that usually cost 5–8k," said one frustrated passenger waiting at the Hyderabad terminal.

IndiGo In Crisis

The IndiGo chaos stems from the airline's ongoing crew shortage, triggered by the new and stricter Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms. The airline, which commands more than 60% of India's domestic market and operates about 2,300 flights a day, has been cancelling services at an unprecedented scale.

On Thursday alone, IndiGo cancelled over 550 flights. A day earlier, only 19.7% of its flights departed on time - down from 35% a day before and about 50% on December 1.Airports in Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai reported dozens of cancellations each day, with more than 150 flights cancelled just on Wednesday.IndiGo has blamed the disruption on the second phase of FDTL norms, which tighten night-duty limits and mandate longer rest periods.The airline says it miscalculated crew availability under the new regime.Aviation regulator DGCA noted in a statement: "The disruptions have arisen primarily from misjudgment and planning gaps in implementing Phase 2 of the (Flight Duty Time Limitations), with the airline accepting that the actual crew requirement exceeded their anticipation."IndiGo told the regulator it expects operations to stabilise by February 10 and has requested temporary relief from some night-duty restrictions.

Industry's Response The Bigger Crisis

But for thousands of passengers stuck at airports this week, the bigger crisis was not IndiGo's collapse. It was how the rest of the industry responded. With little assistance, limited capacity and astronomical fares, travellers said the episode revealed something deeper about India's aviation ecosystem: when one airline crumbles, the others don't step up - they cash in. And that is a problem.