The Centre has moved to contain runaway airfares, announcing temporary caps on domestic ticket prices in the aftermath of IndiGo’s week-long operational breakdown. The measure follows more than 1,600 flight cancellations that severely dented national capacity and triggered what the Civil Aviation Ministry termed an “unreasonable surge” in fares on major routes.
In a directive issued on Friday, the Aviation Ministry barred airlines from charging beyond newly set fare ceilings across domestic routes. The caps are as follows:
₹7,500 for routes up to 500 km
₹12,000 for 500–1,000 km
₹15,000 for 1,000–1,500 km
₹18,000 for routes over 1,500 km
These ceilings exclude UDF, PSF and other taxes, and do not apply to Business Class or RCS-UDAN services. The order effective immediately has been approved by the competent authority. The DGCA has been directed to closely “monitor and regulate” fares on the specified sectors.
The action comes after IndiGo's extensive flight cancellations due to "poor management in crew scheduling" following the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) introduced on November 1. As capacity decreased, ticket prices for all airlines soared significantly, often reaching five to ten times the normal rates. Round-trip fares on major routes exceeded ₹80,000–₹90,000.
The IndiGo meltdown has sent shockwaves through the skies and your wallets. A Friday night one-stop flight from Delhi to Bengaluru on Air India was priced at a staggering ₹1.02 lakh, while Akasa Air offered the same route for around ₹39,000. Delhi–Mumbai tickets on Air India soared to ₹60,000, Chennai–Delhi fares on Air India Express climbed to ₹41,000, and SpiceJet quoted ₹69,000 for the same route.
The surge isn’t limited to Delhi. Flights from Pune to Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru have also seen steep hikes. Pune to Mumbai tickets are around ₹61,000, Pune to Delhi costs ₹27,000, and Pune to Bengaluru is approximately ₹49,000.
The government stated that the temporary fare caps, applicable to all bookings, have been imposed “in public interest” and will stay until prices stabilise or a review is conducted. Airlines are directed to maintain sufficient ticket availability, avoid excessive price surges on disrupted routes, and assist passengers with rebooking, ensuring fair and reasonable fares.
