Ahmedabad-Delhi airfares skyrocket up to 15x amid Indigo cancellations and delays

Airfares on the Ahmedabad-Delhi route surged sharply on December 5 and 6 after large-scale IndiGo flight delays and cancellations across India, pushing ticket prices to nearly 15 times the usual levels.

On regular days, a one-way fare between Ahmedabad and Delhi costs around ₹3,000. But amid the disruption, prices jumped to a minimum of ₹23,648 nearly 8 times higher. The highest fare touched ₹44,838, which is about 15x the normal price.

Fare surge

Normal fare: ₹3,000

Lowest current fare: ₹23,648 → 7.9x surge

Air India morning flight fare: ₹29,548 → 9.8x surge

Air India evening flight fare: ₹24,648 → 8.2x surge

SpiceJet fare: ₹29,877 → 9.9x surge

Highest fare (with Mumbai layover): ₹44,838 → 14.9x surge

Passengers reported that even the most basic economy seats were available only at premium pricing, with last-minute fares touching business-class levels.

IndiGo, which cancelled and delayed several flights on December 5 across the country, has attributed the disruption to a combination of:

Pilot shortage, and operational pressure due to the winter schedule

The airline has said it has requested the aviation regulator for partial relaxation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms to stabilise operations. According to IndiGo, a full transition to the new duty norms may only be possible by February 2026.

Meanwhile, irregular schedules, sudden cancellations and last-minute rescheduling left passengers stranded at airports in Gujarat and other states, further fuelling the surge in last-minute fares.