EXCON Bound Fleets Face Air Travel Nightmare This Peak Week

EXCON week is usually one of the biggest annual gatherings for India’s construction and commercial vehicle ecosystem. Fleet managers, trucking entrepreneurs, CE dealers, engineers, component suppliers, and OEM teams travel from across the country to Bengaluru to catch the latest equipment launches, technology showcases, and industry partnerships.

But in 2025, this peak week has collided with a national air travel disruption. Mass IndiGo cancellations have created an unexpected nightmare for business travellers trying to reach the city in time for the event.

IndiGo Crisis Hits Hard During EXCON Week

IndiGo, India’s largest airline and a carrier responsible for nearly 60% of all domestic flights, has been cancelling hundreds of flights nationwide due to crew shortages triggered by new duty-time regulations. Bengaluru has been one of the worst-affected hubs.

Local reports confirm that on some days, up to 99 IndiGo flights were cancelled at Kempegowda International Airport alone, including more than 50 arrivals. Terminals have seen long queues, confused passengers, booking app crashes, and a shortage of alternative flights.

For thousands planning to reach EXCON this week, the timing could not be worse.

Fleet Managers Scramble for Alternate Routes

Unlike leisure travellers who can postpone plans, industry professionals heading to EXCON operate on tight schedules. Many fleet managers and CE business owners have pre-booked product demos, dealer meetings, supply discussions, and launch sessions. Losing even a half-day means missing key opportunities.

As flight cancellations mounted, travellers were forced into last-minute decisions:

• Switching to trains after flight availability disappeared
• Booking buses, taxis, or rental cars from cities like Mysuru, Chennai, and Hyderabad
• Paying surge fares for the few remaining flights
• Rerouting through other airports like Coimbatore or Mangaluru

For many fleet operators, what should have been a 1-hour flight turned into a 10–14 hour journey by road or rail.

Packed Transport Networks Add to the Chaos

Bengaluru’s rail and road networks also saw intensified pressure as more travellers shifted away from air. Overnight trains to the city ran at full capacity. Intercity buses saw a sudden spike in bookings. Even one-way taxi rides from nearby metros saw heightened demand.

The situation has been especially hard on smaller fleet owners and CE dealers who often travel in groups for EXCON to evaluate machinery and negotiate deals. Coordinating alternative domestic travel at the last minute meant delays, rescheduling, and unexpected costs.

Air Travel Chaos Interrupts EXCON Schedules

While EXCON will continue at full scale, the disruption has already affected visitor flow. Some attendees arriving late missed morning sessions and machine demonstrations. Others reported difficulty making it to their scheduled meetings.

OEMs and exhibitors have not yet issued formal impact statements, but the ripple is visible across visitor circuits. The sudden shift in arrival patterns has forced many to rearrange appointments or push partner interactions to later in the week.

A Wake-Up Call for Fleet Travel Planning

This week’s events highlight a dependency issue: with IndiGo dominating domestic air traffic, a nationwide disruption impacts business travel across industries in a single sweep.

For fleet managers who regularly travel to expos, training programs, and regional dealer meets, the crisis has underscored the need for:

• Extra buffer days when travelling to major events
• Multi-airline booking strategies
• Backup road and rail plans
• Early block bookings for team travel
• Coordinating visits through nearby cities instead of only Bengaluru

As India’s infrastructure and construction sectors continue to grow, mobility reliability will play an increasingly crucial role in maintaining industry schedules.

The Week That Tested Every Traveller

EXCON remains a must-attend event for the industry, but this year, IndiGo cancellations in Bengaluru turned the journey itself into a challenge. For truck and CE professionals across India, reaching the exhibition demanded more effort, more time, and more improvisation than any recent edition.

In a week meant for unveiling the future of mobility, the struggle to simply get to Bengaluru became the biggest story of all.