No more ceilings: Domestic flights to get costlier as Govt withdraws caps

NEW DELHI: The central government has withdrawn the order issued in December to prevent increases in domestic flight fares following the IndiGo protest. Effective today, airlines have the autonomy to set their own fares, which is expected to lead to sharp price hikes on busy routes and during festive seasons.

The previous price restrictions were capped at ₹7,500 for flights up to 500 km, ₹12,000 for 500–1000 km, ₹15,000 for 1000–1500 km, and ₹18,000 for flights exceeding 1500 km.

These restrictions were lifted to accommodate the additional costs stemming from rising fuel prices and flight rescheduling caused by the ongoing West Asian conflict. While the Civil Aviation Ministry has permitted this flexibility, it cautioned that ticket prices must not be increased excessively and stated that the DGCA will monitor fare trends closely.

In response to the West Asian crisis, airlines have already imposed surcharges on both domestic and international routes. Although the government declined the airlines' requests for tax relief on aviation fuel, it opted instead to remove the existing restrictions on ticket pricing.