Airfare for Srinagar-Delhi flight fell from Rs 20,000 on April 21 to less than Rs 10,000 on April 24 following government intervention to curb surge pricing in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident, “there was an apprehension of a mass exodus of tourists from J&K”, which would have, in the normal course, led to a surge in airfares. Airlines were also urged to desist from surge pricing, and for this purpose, they were directed to cap airfares for two major sectors — Srinagar-Delhi (under Rs 10,000) and Srinagar-Mumbai (under Rs 13,000), the civil aviation ministry told the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Any airline breaching this cap was to be subjected to regulatory action.
“Taking proactive action not only the number of flights To/From Srinagar were increased from 51 on 22/04/25 to 56 on 23/04/25, but also the prices were kept in control. As a result of these interventions, a notable reduction in airfares from Srinagar was observed and helped to ensure that the stranded tourists at Srinagar can return home safely.
“A flight from Srinagar to Delhi, priced over Rs 20,000/- on April 21, came down to a more reasonable fare, falling below Rs 10,000/- by April 24. Further, the Srinagar-Delhi sector is being monitored by the DGCA, and as per the data captured for airfares, offered by airlines for this sector during April 2024 and April 2025, the maximum airfares recorded were Rs 21,949 and Rs 29,054, respectively, while the minimum airfares were Rs 5,210 and Rs 4,854,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in a written reply.
The minister also said that airfares are not subject to regulation by the government and airlines have the flexibility to determine their airfares based on their operational needs.
“While the government generally refrains from regulating airfares to maintain market competitiveness, however, it remains vigilant, and the Government intervenes to shift capacity from one sector to another to prevent exorbitant pricing to ensure passenger comfort and welfare,” he added.
On April 22, 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack. (PTI)
