Airfares to be capped, flights between Delhi-Mumbai can cost anywhere between ₹3,500—₹10,000

• The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation will cap airfare for next three months once the domestic flights resume from May 25.
  
• “For Delhi to Mumbai, the minimum fare would be ₹3,500 and maximum at ₹10,000,” said Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri.
  
• The ministry will decide a band of airfare for all the routes based on the travel time on a particular route.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation will cap airfare for next three months once the domestic flights resume from May 25, said the civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

“Earlier the air carriers could put its range (minimum to maximum) on the website. We have looked at corresponding rail fares. We want air travel to become affordable. We have set a minimum fare and a maximum fare. For Delhi, to Mumbai, the minimum fare would be ₹3,500 and maximum at ₹10,000, he said in a press conference,” said the minister.


The ministry will decide a band of airfare for all the routes based on the travel time on a particular route.

Puri said the routes are divided into seven categories based on their duration from 0-30 minutes, 30-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes, 120-150 minutes, 150-180 minutes, and 180-210 minutes.

Yesterday, Puri announced that the domestic flights’ operations in India would resume from May 25 in a calibrated manner and all airports and airlines are being informed to prepare for the resumption.

The ministry has also issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) guideline for passenger movement. As per the standard operating procedure (SOP), passengers with fever, cold, cough and throat pain will not be allowed to enter the airport. The new rules include maintaining social distancing, wearing face masks and thermal screening for all.

On March 25, the Indian ministry of civil aviation ordered the grounding of all commercial flights in India as it was preparing to contain the virus at an early stage. For the two months of lockdown, the aviation industry is staring at losses to the tune of ₹25,000 crore, according to a CRISIL report.

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