{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Traders Body Writes to Civil Aviation Minister Over Festive Airfare Surge",
  "summary": "Airlines have sharply hiked domestic airfares ahead of the festival season, prompting the Chamber of Trade and Industry to seek immediate intervention from Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.",
  "content": "Domestic airfares on major Indian routes have recorded a sharp surge right ahead of the upcoming festival season, with ticket prices on certain sectors jumping by two to three times their standard levels. Taking note of this rapid rise in travel expenses, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), an apex body representing traders and entrepreneurs, has submitted a formal representation to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The organization has urged the ministry to rein in unilateral fare revisions by airlines and ensure that ordinary citizens are protected from excessive travel costs during festive months.\n\nAirfares Jump by 50 to 100 Percent Across Major Sectors\nCTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal noted that an internal assessment by the organization revealed tickets that were available at reasonable rates just days ago are now being sold at more than double the price. Leading carriers, including IndiGo and Air India, have raised their tariffs by 50% to 100% within a very brief span. The country enters its primary festive window starting with Ganesh Mahotsav, extending through Diwali and Chhath Puja, a stretch when domestic travel volumes rise significantly as families visit their hometowns. Imposing a 100% fare jump precisely when travel demand escalates has strained the budgets of middle and upper-middle class travelers.\n\nRoute-Wise Surge in Ticket Prices\nAn examination of current ticket pricing across key connections originating from the national capital highlights the scale of this increase\n\n• The round-trip fare between Delhi and Mumbai, which previously hovered around 10,000 rupees, has now climbed to a range of 18,000 to 25,000 rupees.\n• The return fare between Delhi and Ahmedabad stood between 10,000 and 12,000 rupees earlier, but is currently priced between 18,000 and 20,000 rupees.\n• Travelers flying between Delhi and Bengaluru, who previously paid between 12,000 and 15,000 rupees for round trips, are now seeing ticket prices between 30,000 and 35,000 rupees.\n• On the Delhi to Kolkata route, return tickets that were earlier priced at around 11,000 rupees have surged to 20,000 rupees.\n\nHike in Infant Fees and Capacity Reduction Under Scrutiny\nApart from baseline fares, airline fee revisions for infants have also drawn criticism. IndiGo has increased the booking charge for infants aged between 3 days and 2 years from 2,000 rupees to 3,000 rupees, even though airlines do not allocate separate passenger seats for infants. Citing metrics from aviation data agency OAG, Brijesh Goyal emphasized that carriers have simultaneously reduced domestic flying capacity by 5.6% in September itself. IndiGo cut its seat capacity by 4.5%, while Air India reduced seats by 8.8%, despite these two aviation groups controlling more than 90% of the domestic passenger market. Reducing flight capacity ahead of high-demand festivals while inflating ticket prices places unfair financial pressure on travelers, prompting CTI to demand that the central government step in and enforce fare moderation.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe sharp increase in airfares will directly inflate the travel budgets of passengers planning festive trips across India.\n\n• Across India: Domestic airfares have increased between 50% and 100% on high-demand routes ahead of the festival season. Passengers booking tickets will face steep prices, requiring early planning to avoid peak fare spikes.\n• For Metro Commuters: Flights linking Delhi with major commercial hubs like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad now cost between 18,000 and 35,000 rupees for round trips. Travelers on these routes must account for significantly higher travel budgets.\n• For Families Traveling With Infants: IndiGo has raised its infant charges from 2,000 rupees to 3,000 rupees for children under two years old. Families flying with infants will now pay an additional 1,000 rupees per baby without getting a separate seat.\n• Flight Availability Constraints: With major carriers cutting domestic seat capacity by 5.6% in September, flight options on popular routes have narrowed. Travelers booking late risk facing sold-out flights alongside steep pricing.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe airfare spike has been driven by a combination of surging festival travel demand and intentional seat capacity reductions by major domestic carriers.\n\n• Surge in Festive Demand: Travel volumes typically experience an exponential rise from Ganesh Mahotsav through Diwali and Chhath Puja. As bookings surge, automated dynamic pricing algorithms push seat prices to peak levels.\n• Capacity Cuts by Carriers: Aviation data agency OAG recorded an overall 5.6% contraction in domestic flight capacity in September. IndiGo trimmed seat capacity by 4.5% while Air India reduced its capacity by 8.8%, limiting the number of available seats.\n• High Market Concentration: IndiGo and Air India collectively control over 90% of the domestic passenger market. This concentrated market position enables simultaneous capacity reductions and sharp price hikes across major commercial sectors.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Why did CTI write to the Civil Aviation Minister?\nCTI wrote to Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia demanding intervention against a 50% to 100% surge in festive airfares and seat capacity cuts by airlines.\n\n2. How much has the Delhi-Bengaluru airfare increased?\nThe Delhi-Bengaluru round-trip fare has risen from between 12,000 and 15,000 rupees to between 30,000 and 35,000 rupees.\n\n3. What change did IndiGo make to infant ticket fees?\nIndiGo increased the fee for infants aged 3 days to 2 years from 2,000 rupees to 3,000 rupees without providing a separate seat.\n\n4. How much flight capacity did airlines reduce in September?\nAccording to OAG data, overall domestic capacity fell 5.6% in September, with IndiGo cutting 4.5% and Air India reducing 8.8% of seats.\n\n5. What is the current round-trip fare between Delhi and Mumbai?\nThe round-trip fare between Delhi and Mumbai has increased from around 10,000 rupees to between 18,000 and 25,000 rupees.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/business/tyohari-sijana-se-pahale-havai-kiraye-men-bhari-uchhala-para-vyapariyon-ne-jyotiraditya-scindia-ko-likha-patra-35124",
  "category": "Business",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-20",
  "tags": [
    "Airfare",
    "CTI",
    "Jyotiraditya Scindia",
    "IndiGo",
    "Air India",
    "Festive Season",
    "Aviation Sector"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}