Govt extends price cap on domestic flight fares by three months

New Delhi: The upper and lower limits on domestic airfares will remain in place for another three months post November 24, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday.

The ministry had on May 21 placed these limits through seven bands, classified on the basis of flight duration, till August 24. Later, it was extended till November 24.

Mr Puri said if the scheduled domestic flights reach pre-COVID levels by the end of the year, he will have no hesitation in removing the fare limits at that time.

"We are extending the price bands for another three months," he said at a press conference.

"Even though we are extending it by three months, if by the time we reach the end of the year, and if we find that there is a very appreciable movement in the situation and we are reaching pre-COVID levels, I would absolutely have no hesitation if my colleagues (aviation ministry officials) want us to not utilise the price band for the full three months period," Mr Puri added.

Domestic passenger services resumed on May 25 after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak. 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on May 21 announced seven bands of ticket pricing with lower and upper fare limits based on flight duration.

The first such band consists of flights that are of less than 40 minutes duration.

The lower and the upper fare limits for the first band is ₹ 2,000 and ₹ 6,000, respectively.

The subsequent bands are for flights with durations of 40-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes, 120-150 minutes, 150-180 minutes and 180-210 minutes.

The lower and upper limits for these bands are: ₹ 2,500-Rs 7,500; ₹ 3,000-Rs 9,000; ₹ 3,500-Rs 10,000; ₹ 4,500-Rs 13,000; ₹ 5,500-Rs 15,700 and ₹ 6,500-Rs 18,600, respectively, the DGCA said.