Flight Ticket Prices: Amid growing public concern over skyrocketing airfare prices during festivals, the central government has categorically stated that it is not possible to cap airfares for the entire year. The government saic that fares vary based on demand and seasonality, making it impractical to impose a year-round cap. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu told the Lok Sabha that air ticket prices naturally rise during festivals and peak season. Therefore, it is not possible to impose a fixed cap for the entire year.
He added that when demand increases, fares also rise, so the ministry directs airlines to increase the number of flights during such times.
The Union Minister stated that the government has emphasised adding additional flights and expanding routes to provide passengers with more options during peak seasons. Airlines have been instructed to increase seats during peak season and operate more flights on popular routes.
Naidu said the ministry's effort is to keep ticket fares within an adjustable and reasonable range. To achieve this, airlines have been instructed to increase capacity, add new flights, and adhere to passenger safety regulations.
This statement comes at a time when the country's largest airline, IndiGo, has had to reduce its flight schedule due to recent operational difficulties. The government said that routes and flight capacity are being continuously increased to provide options to passengers.
Naidu In Action To Deal With Winter Flight Delays
Earlier in the day, he chaired a comprehensive review meeting to assess preparedness for the upcoming fog window of the winter schedule with all key stakeholders, including DGCA, AAI, airport operators, airlines and CISF.
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"All stakeholders have been instructed to ensure full compliance, fix accountability and implement strict SOPs for fog operations. To maintain smooth operations, emphasis has to be laid on real-time data exchange, activation of war rooms and deployment of CAT-II/III compliant aircraft with qualified crew," the Union Minister said in an X post.
Clear directions have been issued to ensure safe, seamless and well-coordinated operations, along with timely communication of updates to passengers to help them prepare well in advance, he said, adding that each and every passenger is important and any instance of inconvenience will be addressed with clear accountability.