Sipu Jha
Air travellers finally got a much needed breather on Monday, as domestic airfares eased after government’s intervention. The Centre introduced temporary price caps, offering relief to passengers who had been grappling with record-high ticket rates following IndiGo’s mass flight disruptions.Airfares had surged to never-seen-before levels on Friday when IndiGo cancelled more than 1,000 flights. A one-way one-stop economy-class SpiceJet Kolkata–Mumbai ticket for December 6 had gone up to Rs 90,000, and a similar Air India ticket on the Mumbai–Bhubaneswar route had reached Rs 84,485 according to the airlines’ websites.
Although last-minute increases are not unusual, they are generally limited to two to three times the normal rate. This time, however fares amplified to six times. The trend was visible across multiple routes: the quickest Delhi–Goa Air India option crossed Rs 56,000, Delhi–Pune seats were priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000, and Delhi–Lucknow tickets on Air India Express went past Rs 20,000, while IndiGo seats ranged between Rs 9,000 and Rs 17,000.Also read: Centre orders cap on domestic fares, check pricing detailsOn Saturday, the government stepped in with temporary fare ceilings for domestic routes, fixing limits between Rs 7,500 and Rs 18,000 depending on the distance travelled to contain the soaring ticket prices. As per the civil aviation ministry’s order, the caps do not include applicable charges and exclude business-class and UDAN flights. The ministry has not specified whether premium economy is covered under the ceilings.Under the notified structure, flights up to 500 km cannot charge more than Rs 7,500; fares for routes between 500 and 1,000 km are capped at Rs 12,000; journeys between 1,000 and 1,500 km have a ceiling of Rs 15,000; and routes over 1,500 km are capped at Rs 18,000. This places the Delhi–Mumbai route, which spans over 1,300 km, under the Rs 18,000 maximum fare limit, at least for the economy category.Follow live updates: Indigo flights chaos continues on day seven, major disruptions across Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai airportsWith the caps now in place, passengers are beginning to feel a measure of relief, though the impact varies across destinations.
- According to Make My Trip, flying from Delhi to Mumbai on Monday with IndiGo costs an average of Rs 17,500, ranging from Rs 11,000 to Rs 28,000. The return ticket, however, is much cheaper at Rs 6,000. Air India tickets average Rs 17,100 on the same route, while Akasa Air’s average is Rs 20,600.
- Travel between Delhi and Kolkata also became cheaper. IndiGo tickets starting from Rs 11,000 to Rs 23,000 on average. SpiceJet fares stand at anywhere from Rs 16,900 to Rs 31,000, depending on the time. Air India is significantly higher at Rs 58,798. The return journey remains far more affordable with ticket prices ranging from Rs 15,500 to Rs 17,000 across major airlines.
- Delhi–Goa flights have also come down noticeably, with IndiGo tickets averaging Rs 13,000 and Air India Express costing Rs 16,500 on average. Return prices remain in the same bracket.
- Travelling from Delhi to Lucknow has become considerably cheaper as well. IndiGo fares now range between Rs 4,000 and Rs 9,500, and Air India Express remains within the same price range at Rs 4,000.
- Prices also dropped sharply on the Delhi–Bhubaneswar route. Air India Express fares have reduced to Rs 35,700, while IndiGo has become much cheaper, with prices beginning from Rs 16,100.
- An IndiGo ticket from Delhi to Jaipur will cost you almost Rs 10,000 while AirIndia tickets begin from Rs 7,000. The ride back will cost Rs 3,700 with Air India.
- Going from Delhi to Bangalore stood at an average price of Rs 10,000 if you are choosing to travel with IndiGo while SpiceJet trip costs Rs 25,250. Bangalore to Delhi fare was comparatively cheaper, standing at an average of Rs 6,800 for IndiGo flights, Rs 7,800 for Air India Express and Rs 9,100 for Akasa Air.
- In case you are travelling from Delhi to Hyderabad, Akasa Air will cost you a little over Rs 15,000. IndiGo, meanwhile, remains in the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 28,000, according to ixigo.
Flight fares continue to fluctuate, so travellers are advised to check the website for the latest real-time prices.
हिन्दी 
English