Visakhapatnam flight chaos: IndiGo cancellations hit travelers as fares spike
Visakhapatnam flight chaos: IndiGo cancellations hit travelers as fares spike
IndiGo cancels 10 flights from Visakhapatnam while fares surge despite caps, leaving passengers stranded and prompting refunds and scrutiny.
Air travelers in Visakhapatnam faced a rough Sunday as IndiGo canceled 10 flights and operated 11 services to destinations including Chennai, Delhi, Vijayawada, Abu Dhabi, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and Tirupati, with additional services to Raipur and more. Even as the government’s fare cap tries to protect passengers, many fares spiked and last-minute cancellations left people scrambling. A passenger from Visakhapatnam, who was due to travel from Bengaluru to Visakhapatnam on an IndiGo flight, received a cancellation notice after the service initially appeared to operate. Forced to improvise, he booked an Air India ticket but paid ₹15,000. A family from Hyderabad faced a similar disruption after IndiGo canceled their Coimbatore–Hyderabad flight; they chose to drive to Bengaluru and continue by road to Hyderabad, while awaiting a refund promised within three days. IndiGo said refunds would be processed in that timeframe. The airline operated flights such as 6E845 to Chennai, 6E579 to Delhi, 6E7129 to Vijayawada, 6E1444 to Abu Dhabi, 6E7381 to Bhubaneswar, 6E779 to Hyderabad, 6E7063 to Tirupati, 6E7296 to Raipur, 6E783 to Hyderabad, 6E216 to Hyderabad and 6E6680 to Delhi, while cancellations included 6E307 to Hyderabad, 6E218 to Bengaluru, 6E6585 to Mumbai, 6E881 to Chennai, 6E6645 to Hyderabad, 6E6089 to Chennai, 6E2772 to Bengaluru, 6E617 to Kolkata, 6E883 to Hyderabad and 6E6286 to Hyderabad. The surge in fares on popular routes was sharp: New Delhi–Visakhapatnam tickets on December 7 ranged from ₹73,716 to ₹1,00,682; Hyderabad–Visakhapatnam fares spiked to ₹10,468–₹33,769, and Chennai–Visakhapatnam hit ₹49,033. The price spikes occurred even as authorities pressed for affordability and smoother operations. Passengers and travel agents said the disruptions highlighted a clash between fare caps and airline capacity, fueling frustration and long waits. Officials later signaled accountability, with regulatory actions including a show-cause to the IndiGo CEO amid the ongoing crisis, and measures to restore normal service across routes within days. Travelers were advised to monitor refunds and changes closely as the situation evolved.
Cover image source: Air India announces airfare caps, fee waivers amid IndiGo flights disruptions 🔗
