With unpredictability in airfares, the government has been forced to confront the issue, going by the statement of the civil aviation minister in the Rajya Sabha.
The tariff monitoring unit of the DGCA is being strengthened to curb opportunistic pricing, which was evident recently when IndiGo had to cancel thousands of flights.
The government is monitoring both domestic and international air routes, the Rajya Sabha was informed, though expectations should not be too high as aviation is a deregulated sector. Prices automatically escalate when there is a demand-supply imbalance.
The government has not been able to implement any concrete solution so far, even as demands to cap airfares have been ongoing for several years. Briefly, airfare caps were imposed following disruptions caused by the IndiGo crisis; however, there is a need for a permanent solution, so that flyers are not compelled to pay exorbitant fares due to opportunistic pricing by airlines.
Air travel should be made affordable and reasonable and should remain a choice for travellers, not one dictated by excessively high fares.