A week after the government stepped in to rein in soaring airfares, a majority of domestic flyers say the relief has yet to reach booking screens, with many continuing to encounter ticket prices that breach official limits during the peak travel season.
According to a nationwide survey by community platform LocalCircles, nearly six in ten passengers who searched for domestic flights after December 6 reported that airlines were not complying with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s temporary airfare caps. The order was issued following a spike in fares between December 3 and 6, when widespread flight disruptions sharply reduced seat availability and pushed prices to unusually high levels.
Under the directive, airlines were asked to cap base fares on economy-class, non-stop domestic routes at ₹7,500 for flights up to 500 km, ₹12,000 for routes between 500 km and 1,000 km, ₹15,000 for distances of 1,000–1,500 km, and ₹18,000 for journeys beyond 1,500 km. Taxes and airport charges are to be applied separately. The government said the measure was temporary and intended to prevent excessive pricing until airlines restored normal operations.
The fare surge was triggered by large-scale flight cancellations, most notably by IndiGo, which suspended all domestic services from Delhi and cut back operations from major hubs such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. The airline attributed the disruption to “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges”, with the immediate cause being the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The tighter norms, designed to enhance pilot and cabin crew safety, resulted in crew shortages and significant network disruptions across the industry.
Airlines, however, insist they are following the government’s directive. Air India Express said the capped fares have been fully implemented across its booking systems, while Air India said compliance is being rolled out in phases as system updates are completed. Several carriers have also announced additional steps, including waiving change and cancellation fees, adding flights on busy routes, and offering refunds to passengers who paid more than the capped fares during the transition period.
Despite these assurances, passenger complaints continue to mount. LocalCircles said it has received hundreds of complaints over the past week alleging that fares exceeding the prescribed limits are still being displayed and charged.
The survey, which gathered 25,519 responses from passengers across 291 districts, including metro cities, smaller towns and rural areas, found that 59 percent of respondents encountered some or many instances of non-compliance. Only 21 percent said airlines adhered to the caps in all cases they checked, while the rest said they were unsure.
The findings suggest that effective implementation of the fare caps remains uneven, raising concerns about enforcement at a time when demand for domestic air travel remains strong.
