Fare cap removal may push up air ticket prices, warn pilots’ body

The temporary cap on domestic airfare that was introduced in December last year is slated to be lifted from March 23. Representation Pic/Shadab Khan

The Federation of Indian Pilots has criticised the timing of the Ministry of Civil Aviation's (MoCA) decision to lift the domestic airfare cap from March 23, saying it will hurt passengers. The cap, introduced on December 6 after the IndiGo fiasco, had kept fares in check during high demand and rising fuel costs amid the West Asia conflict, when carriers such as Air India announced that a surcharge would be applied on all flights booked from March 12. With its removal, airlines can now price tickets freely based on demand.

Price concerns

While fliers have not complained about an increase in airfare yet, the next few days will be critical as prices could increase in proportion with demand. When mid-day examined airfare prices for the coming weeks, no heavy hikes were observed on most routes. Flights from Mumbai to Pune, however, were priced between Rs 7000 and Rs 11,000 for one-stop trips, as direct flights are not available on the route.

Captain's warning

‘This move [removal of cap] has been made at a very wrong time and will be detrimental for those looking to fly in the coming weeks. Just as airfare had skyrocketed in December last year after the IndiGo chaos, in a few days it might happen again, especially for flights in and out of Delhi and Mumbai'
Captain Charanvir Singh Randhawa, president, Federation of Indian Pilots

‘Motto falls flat'

Captain Randhawa said the government could have chosen to decrease the tax on the fuel that airlines pay, but instead they have chosen to remove the cap on fares that has been keeping tickets reasonably priced so far. "The motto put out by our government ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik' falls flat on its face when the passengers have to pay high prices in a state of urgency"

Rs 7000 and Rs 11,000
Price range of Mumbai-Pune air tickets