Check your fares: Govt caps flights at Rs 7,500 for 500 km amid IndiGo chaos

The government issued the order as ticket prices soared in many sectors, driven by the ongoing crisis at IndiGo.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday ordered a nationwide cap on domestic airfares after massive disruptions at IndiGo led to widespread cancellations, limited capacity and a sharp jump in ticket prices across several routes.

In its directive, the ministry said airlines cannot charge above the newly fixed maximum fares, introduced in the public interest to stabilise prices until operations return to normal.

Under the cap, the maximum fares allowed are:

Rs 7,500 for routes up to 500 km

Rs 12,000 for 500 to 1,000 km

Rs 15,000 for 1,000 to 1,500 km

Rs 18,000 for routes above 1,500 km

.@MoCA_GoI Action on IndiGo Operational Crisis - Air Fare Regulation

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💠 The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken serious note of concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption. In order to protect passengers from any… pic.twitter.com/7KWRvPOECm — PIB India (@PIB_India) December 6, 2025

These limits exclude UDF, PSF and taxes. They do not apply to business class or flights under the regional UDAN scheme. The government also directed airlines to keep enough seats available across all fare buckets and consider adding capacity on routes where demand is extremely high.

The fare caps apply to all bookings, whether made directly with airlines or through online travel agents. They will stay in place until prices stabilise or the ministry reviews the limits.

The government issued the order as ticket prices soared in many sectors, driven by the ongoing crisis at IndiGo. The airline has faced days of cancellations after struggling to reorganise crew rosters under the new Flight Duty Time Limitation norms. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled on Friday, followed by over 400 on Saturday.

Due to the prevailing chaos, domestic airfare prices have soared, tripling and even quadrupling for travel to major metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. For instance, the price for a non-stop flight from Delhi to Mumbai has surged to Rs 65,460, while one-stop flight options range from Rs 38,376 to Rs 48,972.

The ministry said it has taken serious note of “unusually high airfares” and warned airlines against opportunistic pricing. Any surge beyond the prescribed caps will invite immediate action.

The Centre has also ordered that passengers affected by cancellations or delays must not be charged rescheduling fees. All refunds for disrupted flights must be processed by 8 pm on Sunday. Any delay or non-compliance will lead to regulatory action.

IndiGo has been instructed to set up dedicated support and refund teams to assist passengers proactively, ensure smooth processing of refunds or alternate bookings, and avoid putting the burden on flyers. An automatic refund system will remain active until the airline’s operations are fully stable.

The ministry further told IndiGo to track and return all misplaced or delayed baggage within 48 hours.