New Delhi: As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) report, on major routes, Airfares witnessed a decline in which Delhi-Mumbai experienced a significant drop of 70%.
The rate for Delhi-Mumbai flights is roughly Rs 6,000, a significant reduction from the estimated Rs 20,000 earlier this month. Similarly, rates on other major routes have decreased by 5 to 74%.
A senior official from the aviation ministry said, “In collaboration with the DGCA and the Ministry, we have succeeded in reducing airfares. Airfares for flights connecting Delhi to Pune and Mumbai have been reduced by 70 and 74 per cent, respectively. Additionally, airfares for flights from Delhi to Ahmedabad have been reduced by 66 per cent.”
On 5th June, Minister Scindia held a meeting with the Airlines Consultative Group regarding airfares where he said, “Private airline companies also bear a social responsibility, and there should be a cap on fare increases across sectors.”
Michael Jain, CEO of Belair Travel said, “The absence of GoAir, the Balasore train accident, and the rush of summer vacations led to a surge in airfares. Airlines took advantage of the demand-supply gap to strategically increase prices. However, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) and DGCA intervened, urging airlines to rationalize fares. This intervention aimed to balance passenger affordability and industry sustainability, fostering a fairer and more transparent pricing system.”
A number of factors led to the high airfares seen in late May and early June. The suspension of low-cost carrier Go First’s flight operations in early June owing to operational concerns, as well as its voluntary insolvency filing in May, had an impact.
