Many people are frantically booking flights to their hometowns as the holiday and festive seasons approach. Flight ticket prices for small towns are anticipated to rise in the near future, according to a recent draft prepared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The government has proposed a steep price hike in the charges of small airports, which will now result in more expensive flight tickets, according to a new announcement. As a result, flying to and from small-town airports will now cost more than it did previously.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation’s most recent draft calls for a 30 percent increase in aircraft landing and parking fees and a fourfold increase in user development fees. This means that flights to and from small towns could become approximately 30% more expensive.
Tickets for these smaller flights will become significantly more expensive if the new fees are approved by the government, affecting approximately 3.5 million commuters. It should be noted that if the order is approved, this will apply to all UDAN flights.
The Civil Aviation Ministry’s draft divides the airports that could see their prices rise into three main clusters:
Cluster 1: 13 airports that handle at least one million passengers annually
Cluster 2: 32 airports that handle between 0.1 and 1 million passengers annually
Cluster 3: 32 airports that serve fewer than 0.1 million passengers annually
The stakeholders of the airports and flights are expected to provide their recommendations to the ministry by Tuesday, February 28, at which point the final decision regarding the increase in the price of flight tickets will be made.
During the Budget Session 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 50 additional Indian airports to increase connectivity through air travel, despite the fact that flight prices may soon rise.
