IndiGo flight disruptions Day 5: Government imposes caps on air ticket prices amid ‘unusually high fares’

With the IndiGo flight disruptions continuing on the fifth consecutive day, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday (December 6, 2025) announced capping of airfares to control the surge in ticket prices due to breakdown in the private carrier’s flight services.

Invoked its regulatory powers, the ministry took note of the “unusually high airfares” amid travellers booked with IndiGo making alternative arrangements. IndiGo cancelled over 400 flights from four major airports as of Saturday (December 6) afternoon.

“An official directive has been issued to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have now been prescribed. These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises,” a press statement from the ministry on Saturday (December 6) said.

IndiGo flight cancellations LIVE

Any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract immediate corrective action in the larger public interest, it added.

Last time the government-imposed fare caps was in May 2020 when a limited number of flights were allowed to resume following a two-month ban during lockdown measures. The caps were different price slabs based on flight distance. 

The objective of this directive, the ministry said, is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress. The cap on airfares shall “ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel — including senior citizens, students, and patients — are not subjected to financial hardship during this period”.

The cancellation of over 400 IndiGo flights across four major airports on Saturday (December 6) comes a day after managing to temporarily secure major relaxations in the second phase of the court-mandated new flight duty and rest period norms for the cockpit crew.

Of these, 124 flights (63 departures and 61 arrivals) were cancelled at Bengaluru airport and 109 flights — 51 departures and 58 arrivals — at Mumbai airport, PTI reported.

The Ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms, the release read.

With PTI inputs