Govt eases caps on airfare, extends curbs till 31 March

The government on Thursday raised fare caps for airlines by as much as 30% to offset rising fuel prices but extended the curbs on setting fares till 31 March amid tepid travel demand because of the pandemic.

Passenger fares will now rise between 10% and 30% effective Thursday, depending on the duration of the flight, the civil aviation ministry said in an order.

For short-haul flights with a duration of less than 40 minutes, the minimum fares have been raised to ₹2,200 from ₹2,000. The maximum fare that an airline can charge in these routes has been increased to ₹7,800 from ₹6,000, the ministry said.