IndiGo Flight chaos causes massive surge in train tickets as demand across major routes

IndiGo’s ongoing operational turmoil has begun to spill over into India’s rail network, with major long-distance routes experiencing a sharp rise in passenger demand following extensive flight cancellations from Delhi, reported NDTV. The unexpected grounding of multiple IndiGo flights has pushed thousands of travellers towards trains departing from New Delhi, with Tatkal or last-minute bookings seeing a notable surge as passengers scrambled for alternatives.

The spike in demand is being felt across major corridors, with trains running from Delhi to Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Jammu, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai all reporting unusually heavy passenger loads, NDTV stated. With the airline continuing to battle widespread cancellations, pressure on the Indian Railways underscores the scale and severity of the crisis.

The disruption escalated further on Friday, 5 December, when Delhi airport announced on its X handle that IndiGo had cancelled all domestic departures from Delhi until midnight. Confusion deepened shortly afterwards as sources within the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation informed NDTV that cancellations were only applicable until 3 p.m., adding to the anxiety of travellers already facing prolonged delays and rapidly escalating travel costs.

Passenger Advisory issued at 11:34 Hours#DelhiAirport #PassengerAdvisory #DELAdvisory pic.twitter.com/lVeV76itAW

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) December 5, 2025

Tensions rose at New Delhi airport the same day as passengers demanded answers over long delays, with some claiming they had boarded aircraft only to be asked to deboard after the flight was subsequently cancelled. The chaos, driven primarily by an unexpected shortage of pilots linked to planning lapses, has stretched into its fourth day, with authorities remaining on alert as operations stay heavily strained.

IndiGo, which operates around 2,300 flights daily with a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, has seen its on-time performance fall sharply, and the disruption is expected to continue for several more days. The airline’s top management has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. In a message to employees, CEO Pieter Elbers stated that the airline had been unable to meet its commitment to provide reliable service, citing a mix of new Flight Duty Time Limitation rules, technical issues, airport congestion and adverse weather conditions.

The FDTL regulations strictly cap crew flying hours at eight per day, 35 per week, 125 per month and 1,000 per year, alongside mandatory rest periods including a minimum of 10 hours of rest within any 24-hour period, amounting to twice the duration of actual flying time.