60% flyers say airlines flouting airfare caps after govt order: Survey

The govt imposed the fare caps on December 6 after passengers complained of a steep increase in ticket prices between December 3 and 6, a peak travel period

Nearly six in ten airline passengers who tried booking domestic flights after December 6 say airlines are not following the government’s temporary airfare caps, according to a nationwide survey by community platform LocalCircles.

 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) imposed the fare caps on December 6 after passengers complained of a sharp spike in ticket prices between December 3 and 6, a peak travel period. Under the order, airlines were told to cap base fares on economy-class, non-stop domestic flights at ₹7,500 for routes up to 500 km, ₹12,000 for 500–1,000 km, ₹15,000 for 1,000–1,500 km, and ₹18,000 for journeys beyond 1,500 km. Taxes and airport charges are charged separately. The government said the move was a temporary step to curb excessive pricing while airlines restored normal capacity. 

The surge in pricing came after IndiGo cancelled all domestic flights from Delhi and a large chunk from other airports including Mumbai and Bengaluru, citing “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges”. The major reason behind the disruption was the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) rules implemented by the DGCA, aimed at improving pilot and crew safety. 

  Major carriers such as Air India and Air India Express said they were complying with the directive. Air India Express said the capped fares had been fully updated across its booking systems, while Air India said implementation was being carried out in phases as systems were updated. Airlines also announced additional steps, including waiving change and cancellation fees and adding flights on busy routes. Air India said it would refund passengers who paid more than the capped fares during the transition period.  

Despite these assurances, passenger feedback points to widespread non-compliance. LocalCircles said it has continued to receive hundreds of complaints over the past week alleging that fares above the prescribed limits are still being charged.

 

To assess passenger experience, LocalCircles conducted a national survey that received 25,519 responses from flyers across 291 districts. The respondents included passengers from metro cities as well as smaller towns and rural areas. When asked whether airlines were following the fare caps, 59% said they found some or many instances of non-compliance. Only 21% said airlines were following the caps in all cases they checked, while the rest were unsure.

 

The findings suggest that a majority of passengers are yet to see effective implementation of the fare cap order, raising concerns about monitoring and enforcement during the busy travel season.