'Urge airlines to be reasonable': Shashi Tharoor's appeal to Aviation Minister over steep airfares

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu to take action against exorbitant airfares charged by airlines, especially during peak travel seasons. Tharoor took to Twitter on Thursday, expressing concern over the lack of affordability in domestic flights and calling for regulatory intervention to ensure reasonable pricing.

In his tweet, Tharoor highlighted the lack of regulatory control over private airlines, stating, “We have raised this before and are told that these are decisions by private companies over which the government has no control. But as a regulator, they could certainly urge the airlines to be reasonable!”

Tharoor was responding to a tweet by Sam Kuriakose, who tagged him in a post showing inflated airfares for the Christmas season. Kuriakose wrote, “Please see the ticket rates from Delhi to Trivandrum during Christmas time. This year it crossed all the limits, and how can we celebrate Christmas with our near ones? Please take it to the aviation department.”

The accompanying screenshot displayed Indigo flight prices from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram with layovers priced at ₹18,890 and ₹19,625, respectively. Tharoor had previously criticized another airline for pricing tickets on the same route at a staggering ₹34,853.

This is not the first time airlines have faced criticism for high ticket prices. During the Chennai floods, when the city’s airport was temporarily shut down, media reports alleged that some airlines were charging excessive fares for flights operating from nearby airports. Among those accused was the state-run Air India.

Several citizens also voiced their frustrations, accusing airlines of exploiting the situation. Despite public outrage, no official response was issued by the airlines.

Industry experts explain that airfares often follow the principles of demand and supply. When demand surges—such as during holidays or emergencies—ticket prices increase accordingly. However, public anger mounted as some passengers reported inflated ticket prices even when flights were reportedly flying with empty seats.