Control on air fare robbery: Government’s big step amid IndiGo crisis, now tickets will be available only within the fixed limit
In view of the unexpected increase in airfares due to flight cancellations of IndiGo, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has imposed fare caps on all major domestic routes to prevent arbitrary fares, thereby protecting passengers from financial exploitation. The move will provide immediate travel relief to passengers, especially senior citizens, students and patients, and the ministry will monitor fares in real time.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has taken serious note of the concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by some airlines during the current disruption. To protect passengers from any kind of opportunistic pricing, the Ministry has exercised its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares on all affected routes. An official directive has been issued to all airlines now mandating strict adherence to the prescribed fare limit. These limits will remain in place until the situation is completely stabilised.
The directive aims to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of distressed travelers and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel – including senior citizens, students and patients – do not face financial hardship during this period. The Ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed norms will be followed by immediate corrective action in the larger public interest.
Let us tell you that the massive cancellation of IndiGo flights across India has led to a huge surge in airfares on many major domestic routes, and prices have reached unprecedented levels, as passengers look for alternatives. According to data from popular booking website MakeMyTrip (MMT), there has been a significant surge on routes from Delhi to major metros and state capitals, where prices for same-day non-stop flights are up to double the rates available for neighboring dates.
MakeMyTrip booking data shows that the cheapest Delhi-Bengaluru flight on December 6 cost more than Rs 40,000, while some options cost more than Rs 80,000. According to MMT data, a passenger wishing to travel from Delhi to Mumbai on December 6 will have to pay a minimum of Rs 36,107 and a maximum of over Rs 56,000. For the return journey, a minimum of Rs 23,000 will have to be paid to reach the national capital, while the maximum amount is more than Rs 37,000. On the Delhi-Chennai route, fares reached Rs 62,000-82,000 at the last minute.
The lowest fare for passengers traveling from Delhi to Guwahati was Rs 23,998, while the highest fare was Rs 35,015. To understand this, the fare for a flight from Delhi to Dubai on December 6 (tomorrow) will be around Rs 25,855, making international travel cheaper than flying between the two Indian cities. Similarly, Bengaluru-Dubai ticket is available for around Rs 15,000. Compared to these rates, international travel is much cheaper than domestic travel. For a flight from Delhi to Bangkok, a person will have to pay approximately Rs 18,747.
