Centre caps airfares at Rs 18k amid IndiGo crisis

Amid rising concerns over unusually high airfares during the ongoing IndiGo operational crisis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has stepped in with strong regulatory measures to protect passengers from opportunistic pricing. The government has invoked its powers to enforce strict fare caps across all affected routes, ensuring that travellers are not burdened during this period of disruption.

Government Enforces Route-Wise Fare Limits

To maintain pricing discipline, airlines have been directed to adhere to newly prescribed maximum fares. These fare ceilings will remain in effect until the market stabilises.
Under the new regulation:

Up to 500 km: Maximum fare capped at Rs 7,500

500–1,000 km: Maximum fare capped at Rs 12,000

1,000–1,500 km: Maximum fare capped at Rs 15,000

Above 1,500 km: Maximum fare capped at Rs 18,000

These limits exclude UDF, PSF and taxes, and do not apply to business-class tickets or RCS UDAN flights.

Also Read: No more delays as Centre orders IndiGo to clear all refunds by December 7

Uniform Rules Across All Booking Platforms

Airlines must ensure that these fare caps apply uniformly, whether a ticket is purchased directly through an airline website or via an online travel agency. The Ministry has also mandated that carriers maintain ticket availability across all fare buckets and consider capacity enhancement on high-demand routes to prevent artificial price spikes.

No Steep Price Hikes and Full Passenger Support

The directive explicitly forbids sharp or unusual upward fare revisions, especially on sectors impacted by cancellations. Airlines have been instructed to extend maximum possible support to affected passengers, including arranging alternate flight options wherever feasible.

By enforcing these strict fare controls, the government aims to safeguard passengers from financial strain and restore fairness in the aviation market. The Ministry’s decisive intervention underscores a clear priority: ensuring affordable, transparent, and passenger-friendly travel during a challenging period for the aviation sector.