International routes see prices surge amid IndiGo crisis, despite caps on airfares

high international fares

The IndiGo disruption is spilling far beyond domestic skies. Despite fare caps, prices on international routes are rising as capacity tightens.

A one-way trip to Dubai from Delhi will now cost around Rs 55,000. Airfares on this route was in the range of Rs 18,000 - 22,000 before the recent flight disruptions, according to data sourced from SNVA Traveltech (Travomint), an online travel firm.

A round trip from Delhi to Male now costs around Rs 1 lakh versus Rs 40,000 - 45,000 earlier.

Other international routes where fares have increased include Delhi-Mauritius, and a round trip will now cost Rs 74,000, up from Rs 40,000 - 45,000 earlier. ,

Rates remain high on other international routes as well but not as high as the above-mentioned destinations. For example, a one-way trip to Toronto from Delhi will cost Rs 1.4 lakh versus the earlier range of Rs 1-1.25 lakh.

Fares for a trip to Dammam from Mumbai is around Rs 36,000 versus  Rs 18,000 - Rs 22,000 (one way).

Fares at the Delhi-Hong Kong route are around Rs 50,000 versus Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000 earlier.

Alok K Singh, Chairman and CEO, SNVA Traveltech, pointed to the current flight disruptions and limited seat availability for the rising international airfares despite the airfare cap.

On December 6, the Indian government capped airfares at Rs 7,500 for air travel up to 500 km and Rs 18,000 for those above 1,500 km.

However, just four days later, CPI(M) MP AA Rahim, during Rajya Sabha's Zero Hour, said he found a Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram economy class ticket priced at Rs 64,783 for travel on Thursday (December 11, 2025).

For long-distance routes, like Pune-Guwahati, flight rates are ranging between Rs 18,000 and Rs 31,000, while for Pune to Kochi, it is nearing Rs 32,000. Fares for Delhi–Bengaluru route on December 11 ranged between Rs 18,000 and Rs 28,000.

Even if airfare caps apply to certain sectors, limited inventory naturally drives prices up on remaining seats, including those on international routes, Singh noted.

For international routes, he said that even with caps in place, airlines are adjusting prices upward on affected sectors to manage limited inventory, which has led to noticeable increases in international ticket prices for travellers planning winter and holiday journeys.

"The ongoing flight disruptions have caused substantial inconvenience for Indians flying internationally. Large-scale delays and cancellations on domestic sectors have had a cascading effect on outbound travel, as many international passengers rely on domestic connections to reach major hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad."

Missed connections, last-minute rebookings, and long airport wait times have become common in the last few days.

While IndiGo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers has said that the airline's operations are back on their feet, it cancelled nearly 220 flights on December 10.

"Limited aircraft availability and schedule reshuffling have further reduced seat inventory on several overseas routes. As a result, travellers heading to destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia and North America are facing uncertainty, higher fares, and fewer flight options. Overall, the disruption has materially impacted travel plans during an already high-demand season for global travel," Singh said.

IndiGo’s winter schedule was cut by 10 percent after last week’s operational chaos.

Flight cancellation, capacity, steep airfares... all come at a time when the travel demand is at its peak.

"Another key factor driving the price hike is the seasonal surge in travel. Christmas and New Year holidays, and festive vacations, have significantly increased passenger demand. This combination of operational disruptions and strong seasonal travel is pushing international fares higher than usual," he said.