IndiGo cancellations trigger Rs 1,000 crore loss for Delhi’s trade and tourism sector

Delhi’s trade, tourism, hospitality, and exhibition sectors have incurred an estimated Rs 1,000 crore loss due to over 4,000 IndiGo flight cancellations since December 1. CTI reports a 25 per cent fall in market footfall and widespread hotel and travel booking disruptions

New Delhi: Delhi’s trade, industry, tourism, and exhibition sectors have suffered an estimated loss of Rs 1000 crore due to widespread flight cancellations by IndiGo, which disrupted the movement of visitors, a statement by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) claimed on Wednesday.

CTI, an umbrella body for Delhi’s market associations, reported a 25 per cent drop in footfall at major markets across the city over the past ten days. There was no immediate response from IndiGo.

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More than 4,000 IndiGo flights have been cancelled since December 1, causing significant disruption to travel plans, the statement added. “Every day, more than 1.5 lakh people travel through Delhi Airport, of which nearly 50 thousand are traders and businessmen,” CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said in the statement.

He further added that due to the ongoing news of cancellations, the number of traders arriving in Delhi has drastically reduced, directly impacting business activity.

The cancellations have also led to a sharp decline in hotel, restaurant, banquet, and resort bookings, with thousands of reservations being cancelled, CTI said. Goyal said the past week had been “dreadful for IndiGo” and distressing for both tourists and business visitors.

Manoj Khandelwal, Director of Manoj Travels, in the statement said the peak tourism season in Delhi, usually lasting until mid-January, has been severely impacted, with bookings for Christmas and New Year’s travel already showing signs of being affected.

The market association urged the authorities to ensure smooth travel operations and mitigate the ongoing fallout from the cancellations across multiple sectors.