Fare play: Airlines back government bands; domestic ticket prices to remain high

Domestic ticket prices are set to remain high as all local airlines are in favour of the government continuing to set fare bands. The government has been fixing upper and lower limits on the basis of distance since airline operations resumed in May last year after a two-month stoppage as part of the nationwide Covid lockdown. This has led to an increase in fares by up to 35% from pre-pandemic levels. The government has also been regulating capacity since then, setting limits on how many passengers can be carried.