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Now airline companies will be able to increase the fares of domestic flights according to the demand for seats. The Civil Aviation Ministry has lifted the ban on air fares. According to the order, this decision will come into effect from March 23.
The fare cap was imposed after disruptions in IndiGo flights in December last year. The government had fixed the maximum fare for airlines at ₹18000. Airlines could not charge higher prices than this.
The order said…
Flight capacity has been restored across the sector and operations have returned to normal. After review, it has been decided that the cap on fares will be removed with effect from March 23, 2026.
In fact, last year DGCA had made changes in the rules related to the work of pilots and other crew members from November 1. This was named Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL). Due to this, there was a shortage of staff in the airline company Indigo due to which thousands of flights were cancelled. Because of this, other airlines had increased the fares of domestic flights by Rs 50 thousand.
Ministry said- keeping an eye on air fares
In its order, the ministry also said that airlines will have to maintain discipline in terms of pricing and operate responsibly. The ministry said airlines will ensure that fares are fair, transparent and in line with market conditions, and do not adversely affect the interests of passengers.
The ministry said that any excessive or unreasonable increase in fare will be viewed seriously. The order said that the ministry is monitoring real-time airfare trends.
Tickets were available up to 10 times the price
After massive cancellations and delays in Indigo flights, there was a surge in flight fares. In search of alternative flights, passengers had to buy tickets at ten times the normal price.
According to booking site MakeMyTrip, on December 6, the cheapest flight from Delhi to Bengaluru was priced at more than Rs 40,000, while the fares of some flights reached Rs 80,000. The minimum fare for the flight from Delhi to Mumbai was Rs 36,107 and the maximum was Rs 56,000. At the same time, the fare for late night flights of Delhi-Chennai had reached Rs 62,000 to Rs 82,000.
Those new rules of DGCA, which caused staff crisis in Indigo
DGCA had made changes in the rules related to the work of pilots and other crew members from November 1, 2025. This is named Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL). These were implemented in two phases. The first phase came into effect on 1 July 2025.
The second phase came into effect from November 1. In the new rules, emphasis has been laid on providing adequate rest to pilots and crew to increase the safety of passengers. Due to this, airline companies are suddenly facing shortage of pilots and crew members. DGCA had said that in November itself, a total of 1,232 Indigo flights were cancelled, which included 755 flights due to FDTL rules.
March 18: Airlines will not be able to charge extra on 60% seats.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry had issued new rules to make air travel more convenient in India. According to the new order, airlines will have to book at least 60% seats in every flight without any extra charges. These instructions will apply to domestic flights.
Apart from this, passengers traveling on the same PNR (Booking Reference) will be seated together or will be given adjacent seats. Under the current rules, only 20% seats can be booked for passengers without paying extra charges, while the remaining seats have to be paid for.
These steps have been taken because airlines are charging exorbitant fees for many services including seat selection. According to reports, currently airlines charge Rs 500 to Rs 3000 extra for choosing preferred seats. Read the full news…
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Airlines can increase air fares: Said – decision will have to be taken under compulsion, opposing the government’s instructions not to charge extra
Indigo, Air India and Spice Jet have protested against the government’s decision of not charging extra charges on 60% of the seats on flights. Airlines say that this move will force them to increase airfares to compensate for their lost earnings. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), representing the three airlines, has urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to withdraw this decision. Read the full news…
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