Passenger friendly MoCA to keep an ‘eye’ on rising air fares

The approaching holiday season has given the airlines an opportunity to cash-in on the high passenger demand. Just like each year, airlines have hiked their fares on key-high density routes to make quick profits leading to passengers worry. Much to the relief of the passengers, the Union  Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has clarified that the government is “keeping an eye” on ticket prices.

The minister is especially concerned about the passengers having to shell-out extra money during festivals. “Ticket prices shouldn’t shoot up too much,” said Naidu, addressing concerns about the usual spike in holiday fares.

“We’re monitoring all airlines. No passenger should face trouble while trying to go home for the festivals,” he added. 

Naidu further clarified that although the government won’t force the airlines to maintain their prices within a specified range, the government will keep a close eye on the prices, especially on high traffic routes, to ensure that the common man is not harassed by exorbitant price rise.

Dussehra falls on October 12, 2024 and Diwali is between October 31 and November 2, while Onam is celebrated between September 5 to September 15. Various travel agencies and analysts have found that airlines have hiked their prices by 25% on key routes. 

As the dates to festivals come closer, the demand on key routes rises leading to crunch in the flights and seats availability further leading to price rise.  

To give an example, during the Diwali period this year, the fares on Delhi-Chennai routes have jumped to INR 7,618 as compared to INR 1500 last year, while the Mumbai-Hyderabad route saw a hike of 21% increase, with fares reaching INR 5,162. Even flights to Kerala for Onam celebrations have witnessed a rise of 20-25%.

The fares on non-stop flights are expected to be higher with a significant hike as compared to flights with layovers.
Besides, many passengers are reporting the incidents of hiked fare on social media, slamming various airlines and posting complaints to the MoCA. Addressing this concern the minister is also planning to introduce an online mechanism to address passenger grievances to ensure passengers were not exploited.

Hence, if you are planning a vacation to your loved one’s during festivals, it is advisable to book your tickets well in advance to avoid falling in the surged air fare trap.