New domestic travel rules from tomorrow: Higher ticket prices, lesser flights
Those of you who have made travel plans or all flying from tomorrow, then this piece of news is for you. Starting 1 June, flights within the country are set to become costlier as the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has decided to raise the lower limit on domestic airfares from 13 per cent to 16 per cent. This is the first time the government has cut the capacity ceiling on flights since domestic operations resumed on May 25 last year.
What are the new fare restrictions?
Now, the lower limit for flights under 40 minutes of duration will be increased from ₹2,300 to ₹2,600 — a hike of 13 per cent.
Similarly, flights with a duration between 40 minutes and 60 minutes will have a lower limit of ₹3,300 instead of the current ₹2,900.
Domestic flights of duration between 60-90, 90-120, 120-150, 150-180 and 180-210 minutes will have lower limits of ₹4,000, ₹4,700, ₹6,100, ₹7,400 and ₹8,700, respectively.
As per an order by MoCA, "Fare for domestic travel less than 40 minutes of duration will be hiked by ₹2,300 to ₹2,600, which is 13 per cent of the current fare."
Flights with a duration between 40 minutes to one hour will have fares at a lower limit of ₹3,300. The fares for such flights were earlier capped by the ministry at ₹2,900.
Similarly, for flights of duration between 60-90 minutes airfare will be charged at ₹4,000, 90-120 minutes at ₹4,700, 150-180 minutes at ₹6,100 and 180-210 minutes will cost ₹7,400.
Delhi-Mumbai flight:
A Delhi-Mumbai flight will cost ₹700 more than the current fare after the new rule kicks in.
Current airfare
Currently, the airfare for flights in the above period is cheaper by ₹300 to ₹1,000.
Reason for the increase in airfares:
On account of the rise in fuel costs, the government has increased the fare limits. An increase in airfares has also been attributed to the capacity of the load factors of the passengers. A sudden increase of coronavirus cases in the second wave of the Covid pandemic showed a decrease in domestic air travel.
Lower and upper limits on airfares:
India had imposed lower and upper limits on airfares based on flight duration when services were resumed on May 25 last year after a two-month lockdown.
When the government had resumed scheduled domestic flights, the ministry had permitted the carriers to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic services. This cap was gradually increased to up to 80 per cent by December last year. And, now the cap has been reduced from 80 per cent to 50 per cent. This reduction will come into effect from June 1.
