Airfares

India imposed emergency fare caps on Saturday after IndiGo, the country’s largest airline, cancelled 385 flights in a single day, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded outside major airports and sparking the worst operational crisis in the carrier’s 20-year history.

The government’s intervention came on the fifth straight day of disruptions caused by a severe pilot shortage at IndiGo, which failed to prepare adequately for stricter duty-time limits that took effect on Nov. 1. Thousands of cancellations since Tuesday have crippled air travel during the busy December season.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said the fare caps were necessary to maintain …