Sell first, cancel later? IndiGo’s cut-price ticket blitz preceded massive flight wipeouts

The IndiGo chaos had a precedent that played a role in disrupting flights across the country. The budget carrier reportedly sold heavily discounted tickets, which were later cancelled due to crew shortages, triggering the crisis that left thousands of passengers stranded.

According to a report by News18, IndiGo launched promotional sales between August and November 2025, offering discounts on tickets of up to 40–50 per cent. Many of these flights were booked on dates that coincided with disruptions.

Sell tickets only to be cancelled?

Sources told the news outlet that the first wave of sales began in August, with the airline launching an ‘Independence Day Sale’, offering discounted fares for flights booked between  22 August 2025 and 31 March 2026.

Tickets for the high-demand November–December period were sold in large volumes during this time. IndiGo then rolled out its 15–21 September ‘Grand Runaway Fest,’ aimed at travellers planning trips between January and March 2026.

A few weeks later, from 5–8 November, the airline launched its ‘Getaway Sale’ for travel from 12 November 2025 to 30 April 2026, just after the new Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) rules took effect, a change the airline was already anticipating. IndiGo closed the cycle with its 25–28 November ‘Black Friday Sale,’ offering discounted fares for travel between January and June 2026.

An aviation expert told News18 that this trend appears to be more than just operational turbulence. If you already know your crew availability will drop, why sell tickets at a 40–50% discount for those exact dates? It gives the impression of overbooking, collecting money first and cancelling later,” the expert said.

Once the new FDTL rules became active, IndiGo’s crew rostering reportedly collapsed. More than 2,000 flights were cancelled in a month, passengers were stranded, and several airports saw agitation due to delays, cancellations, and baggage issues.

Govt cuts 10% of IndiGo’s routes

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Tuesday said the government has ordered a
10 per cent cut in IndiGo flights as the airline continues to face nationwide disruptions. He added that IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers was called to the Ministry to provide an update on the situation.

Following the review, the minister said the government had decided to scale back IndiGo’s flight operations. “A curtailment of 10% has been ordered. While abiding with it, Indigo will continue to cover all its destinations as before,” he said.