Five days after the massive IndiGo flight disruptions that left thousands of passengers stranded across airports nationwide, Tata Group-owned Air India on Saturday announced a set of measures aimed at providing relief to affected travellers. The airline said it has rolled out a special waiver on change and cancellation fees for eligible domestic bookings, along with capping economy-class fares to prevent automatic price surges triggered by high demand.
Air India said that together with its subsidiary Air India Express, it has “proactively” capped fares on all non-stop domestic flights starting December 4, to counter the usual demand-supply dynamics managed by automated revenue management systems. The move comes after the Civil Aviation Ministry issued a fresh directive on airfare caps earlier on Saturday, and both carriers confirmed they are already working to ensure full compliance.
To offer greater flexibility to passengers in the wake of travel disruptions, the two airlines have introduced a one-time special waiver on change or cancellation fees for eligible bookings. Under this initiative, customers who made domestic flight bookings with either airline on or before December 4, and were scheduled to travel up to December 15, can now reschedule their journeys to a future date without paying any rescheduling fee, provided it remains within the validity of the purchased ticket. Alternatively, passengers may also cancel their bookings and receive a full refund, with no cancellation charges applied.
This waiver is valid for a one-time change or cancellation made until December 8, 2025, Air India said. However, it clarified that any fare difference applicable at the time of rescheduling will still need to be paid by the passenger.
The measures come as domestic air travel continues to feel the aftershocks of IndiGo’s operational breakdown, which triggered significant flight delays, cancellations, crowding at airports, and widespread public frustration.