Airlines cancel 12 Mumbai routes because of congestion; fares spike by 193%

The cancellation of 200 weekly flights on 12 routes connecting Mumbai airport has caused a significant increase in airfares, with prices rising as much as 193%. 

This development follows a government order issued on February 14, which mandated the reduction of flights to alleviate “persistent congestion” causing delays of up to 60 minutes. IndiGo, the largest carrier in India, has been heavily impacted, canceling 110 flights on nine routes connecting Mumbai in the past week. 

Flights from Mumbai have been reduced to 12 destinations, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, and others. 

The Mumbai airport, which handled 6,417 flights per week until recently, is now managing 6,217 flights per week. 

The cancellations have notably affected routes such as Mumbai-Kannur, where the number of flights has halved to six services per week. This reduction in flight availability has led to a substantial surge in airfares on affected routes, affecting travelers.