Flight tickets to get costlier from April 1? Here’s what Aviation Minister says
Amid rising global oil prices due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the impact on the aviation sector is likely to be felt from April 1, as higher Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices begin to take effect.
Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam, the minister said, “The ATF prices are decided on the first of every month. The impact might be visible from April 1.”
Amid regional tensions, the ministry assured that safe operations are a priority and that it is actively engaging with airlines to take feedback, as it is a “multi-departmental exercise”.
“We want to have safe operations, especially in the Middle East and all other people also,” Naidu stated, emphasing that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, External Affairs, and Petroleum and Natural Gas would engage in discussion to determine the best outcome.
“The impact should not translate into operations or the passengers. That will be the intention of the Ministry, and we will engage positively,” he added.
Govt removes domestic airfare caps
Amid the ongoing war, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday decided to remove the temporary cap on domestic airfares from March 23, according to an official order. The cap was imposed following the IndiGo fiasco in December last year.
The fare cap had been imposed in the wake of widespread disruptions to IndiGo flights in December 2025, which had triggered concerns over price surges during the period. With operations stabilising since then, the ministry has now moved to lift the restrictions, allowing airlines greater flexibility in pricing domestic tickets.
The removal also comes at a time when airlines are facing operational disruptions on international routes due to the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Air India announces fuel surcharge hike
Meanwhile, driven by rising jet fuel prices from Gulf geopolitical tensions, Air India is implementing a phased, tiered fuel surcharge hike on domestic and international routes, while Akasa Air announced a new fuel surcharge on its domestic and international flights for bookings made from 00:01 hrs on March 15, citing significant aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia has triggered a global energy supply disruption, affecting crude oil and gas flows through key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on March 12, the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, informed the Lok Sabha on March 12 that the country is successfully navigating the major disruption in global energy supplies following the West Asia conflict. “India has sufficient gas production and supply arrangements to sustain this position even in the event of a prolonged conflict. Power generation for every household and for industry is fully protected,” Puri said.
He assured the House that “There is no shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene, ATF or fuel oil. The availability of petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil is fully assured,” with refineries operating at high capacity utilisation, sometimes “exceeding 100 per cent”.
