Alliance Air launches fixed fare plan amid festive season: Check details

MoCA introduces Alliance Air's 'Fare Se Fursat' pilot project with fixed ticket prices on select routes till December 31, aiming to make air travel predictable and inclusive

With airfares skyrocketing on some routes during the ongoing festival season, the government on Monday came out with an initiative under which state-owned regional carrier Alliance Air will have fixed ticket prices that remain unchanged even for last-minute bookings.

 

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), unlike the prevailing dynamic pricing system, which adjusts fares in real time based on demand and availability, Alliance Air will offer a single fixed fare that will remain constant irrespective of booking dates. By offering fare transparency and stability, the fixed pricing model aims to reduce anxiety among passengers about last-minute fare spikes -- a common issue in India’s aviation market.

   

The pilot scheme will be implemented on select routes in its pilot phase between October 13 and December 31. It will be rolled out across select routes to assess “passenger response and operational viability”, the ministry said.

 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu inaugurated the scheme on Monday, titled ‘Fare Se Fursat’, describing it as a step towards giving passengers “freedom from the stress of fluctuating airfares”.

 

The initiative, he said, aligns with the government’s goal of democratising aviation and making it accessible to India’s middle and lower-middle classes.

 

“The ‘Fare Se Fursat’ scheme perfectly aligns with the core principles of the regional connectivity Udan scheme. Today, Alliance Air is carrying forward Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of democratising aviation and making it affordable for the middle class, lower-middle class and neo-middle class,” the minister said at the launch event in New Delhi.

 

Alliance Air currently operates about 390 flights per week, from various small destinations such as Dimapur, Aizawl, Jagdalpur, Jalgaon, Bilaspur, Bikaner and Rupsi, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. It has small planes such as ATR and Dornier Turbo in its fleet.

 

The Udan scheme was launched in 2016, under which airlines are provided viability gap funding, reduced taxes, and other operational incentives to operate flights on unserved and underserved routes.

 

The launch event was attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, Alliance Air Chairman Amit Kumar and the airline’s CEO Rajarshi Sen.

 

Naidu said the scheme represents a “bold and exemplary step” by Alliance Air in prioritising public service over profitability.

 

The minister also linked the move to his broader efforts to make Indian aviation more passenger-centric.

 

“Since taking charge of the ministry, my focus has been on making aviation more people-oriented,” he said, pointing to other affordability measures such as Udan Yatri Cafes at airports, which offer tea for ₹10, coffee for ₹20 and snacks for ₹20.

 

Alliance Air, which plays a pivotal role in the government’s regional connectivity scheme Udan, connects Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to the national aviation network, Naidu said. The airline operates flights to destinations often underserved by private carriers.