After IndiGo cancelled over 5000 flights last week, the Centre directed the airline to curtail 10% of its capacity, which led many air travellers to think if the decision would be heavy for their pockets.
IndiGo to curtail capacity by 10% – Will it impact your pocket?
The Economic Times reported that the decision to cut IndiGo’s capacity by 10% is not expected to cause any major jump in domestic airfares, because the actual reduction affects only about 70 domestic flights that currently have tickets on sale. However, this cut will slow down the airline’s growth plans, since it will no longer be able to launch the new routes it had planned for the winter season. IndiGo’s roughly 190 daily international flights will see no reduction.
The Centre ordered IndiGo to scale back flights after the airline cancelled more than 5,000 flights last week, disrupting travel for thousands of passengers and creating chaos in India’s huge aviation sector. For the winter schedule, the DGCA had allowed IndiGo to operate 2,145 domestic flights a day. With a 10% cut, the airline is now limited to around 1,930 daily flights. But since IndiGo had already been operating just over 2,000 flights a day since November, the real impact amounts to cancelling about 70 flights, according to an airline official who spoke to ET.
Will competitor airlines put cap on airfares?
The DGCA has also asked other airlines to increase their capacity to help meet passenger demand caused by IndiGo’s flight cuts, reported ET. It has also set a maximum limit on airfares based on the distance flown. A travel industry executive told ET the effect on ticket prices could vary. On busy routes, especially between major cities, fares may remain high for the next 2–3 days as other airlines operate at full capacity. On less busy routes, ticket prices may stay below the capped limit.
Executives from rival airlines warned that they may not have enough capacity to completely fill the gaps because of a shortage of planes and slow addition of new aircraft, reported ET. Air India’s CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline’s total capacity will stay mostly the same in 2026, even though 27 new planes are expected to join the fleet during the year.
DGCA carries out inspections at airports
The DGCA has also ordered inspections of IndiGo’s operations at 11 airports to check safety, operational readiness, passenger services, and the airline’s response during disruptions. The regulator summoned IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Thursday to submit a detailed report which would include full data and updates on the flight issues.