Flight Cancellations Ripple Through India’s Tourism Industry

IndiGo’s ongoing flight cancellations are affecting tourism across India at a time when travel is usually at its highest. The disruption is leaving passengers stuck and causing losses for hotels, travel agents, and small businesses.

Many travellers heading to places like Visakhapatnam and other parts of Andhra Pradesh have been hit. On December 8, eight flights were cancelled. Seven were from Visakhapatnam, including four to Hyderabad and one each to Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi. Vijayawada also lost its only Delhi flight that day.

The problem has grown because fares on other airlines have increased, and train seats are hard to find during Christmas and Sankranti.

K. Vijay Mohan from the Tours and Travels Association of Andhra Pradesh said most foreign tourists arrive in Delhi or Mumbai before moving to other states. Many choose flights or trains, but buses are rarely preferred. With trains already full, travel plans are falling apart.

He said he lost three tourist groups from Europe who planned to visit Visakhapatnam between December 15 and 20. They cancelled as they were unsure when flights would start again. Hotels are not giving refunds and are offering booking vouchers instead, which means travel operators must bear the cost, including taxes already paid.