On Wednesday Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia spoke on the need of ensuring that airline ticket prices that have surged (for a plethora of reasons) ever since domestic air travel resumed post-Covid lockdown remain within a certain limit. He stated, “It must be made sure that maximum prices fall under a certain limit and we have also conveyed this message to the airlines in clear terms. The prices cannot be way beyond what should be rationally done. This should specifically be kept in consideration when we have certain instances such as the Go First situation or other circumstances or calamities. 

The announcement followed a meeting on Monday with the Airlines Advisory Group, where it was requested that the airlines self-monitor airfares, particularly on routes that were also served by the now-ground Go First. These routes are a few of those that have witnessed a great surge in ticket prices. Industry experts last month told Hindustan Times that the reason behind increased travel during the summer holiday season could have enticed airlines to hike prices yet again that too almost 50 per cent in some cases. This is after the hikes that happened due to factors like the war in Ukraine that led to the increased price of oil. The experts also cited Go First as a reason for an increase in fares as the collapse of the airline shrunk the number of tickets available and ultimately led to an increase in price. 

In recent times, complaints have increased about unfair ticket prices, particularly the number on social media where people are sharing their experiences. Amid this, Scindia was asked to give a response at a media event happening in Delhi this week. It was also brought to his attention that tickets for Delhi to Leh were only INR 4000 less than Delhi to Paris. However, the minister also noted that “it is an issue created by an unforeseen demand-supply imbalance” and said that the government is conducting a ‘full analysis’ of the situation.