Sky-High Airfares Spark Outrage Amid Soaring Demand and Staffing Woes

Airfares skyrocketed to unprecedented levels due in part to a crew shortage that led to IndiGo canceling over 1,000 flights. The surge has seen prices tripling or quadrupling, triggering calls for fare caps similar to those during the pandemic.

A significant surge in airfares has come under fire as ticket prices soared to unprecedented heights on popular routes across India. A one-way economy-class ticket on a SpiceJet flight from Kolkata to Mumbai for December is priced at an astounding Rs 90,000.

Market disruption is largely attributed to IndiGo's cancellation of over 1,000 flights last Friday, a consequence of the airline grappling with crew shortages as the second phase of flight duty and rest period regulations took effect. This shortfall has left a noticeable gap in capacity, causing fare multipliers to skyrocket, with last-minute tickets selling for up to six times their usual rate.

Critics have slammed the pricing surge, labeling it exploitative. Ajay Prakash, CEO of Nomad Travel, has called for fare regulation to prevent perceived monopolistic pricing by airlines. Subhash Goel of Stick Travel echoed these concerns, advocating for a reimplementation of fare caps similar to those enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies.)